Stone Hunt
by swingdelusion
Summary: Jolyne must protect Jotaro after he is assaulted in Italy rendering him unable to fight early on. She seeks help from his old colleagues in Morioh, but the enemy has no intention of letting Jotaro escape.
1. Morioh 2010 Part 1

Stand Name: Crazy Diamond

Stand Ability: Restore objects to their original state.

Design: A pink humanoid being with blue heart armor.

Destructive power: A

Speed: A

Range: D

Durability: B

Precision: B

Development Potential: C

2010

The town of Morioh slowly rolled into view over the hillside. The taxi lazily rolls past a tall tower. As it does the cab is greeted with the return of the radio's songs that had stopped as they were passing through the countryside earlier. "Oh there it goes," says the driver, "the reception usually gets better once you've passed the transmission tower".

"So, is this your first time visiting Morioh?" he asks he shaded passenger. But despite his question, the passenger volunteers him no answer. The cab driver is used to this but still tries his best to make some conversation anyway. "You know they make some delicious beef tongue stewed miso there" he continues.

Finally, his passenger speaks. "Have you ever noticed anything strange there? Any weird incidents?" she asked. Ignoring the woman's impoliteness he began to ponder her question.

A few years ago he would have answered no to that question, but over the past few years, he started hearing strange rumors from tourists. Rocks with faces, books that make no sense, an alleyway in which you couldn't turn around. It was all very ominous. "Yeah I have heard many tales from that town, can't say I believe them though," he said.

Just then he remembered something. "Oh yeah" he couldn't believe he had almost forgotten, "where do you want to be dropped off at?". The passenger started out of the window of the car. I hope I can do this she thought to herself.

…

Two men walked down the sidewalk of Morioh together. They walked and generally enjoyed each other's company. "I'm telling you Josuke this food is so f…" he started to say, but the other man cut him off. "You idiot, aren't you even listening, it doesn't matter how good it is, I can't afford to pay for high-class stuff like that right now, I'm on a budget." The second man was clearly confused by this.

"Then why don't you use some of that money you were storing up in the bank, ya know the money we got from the lottery?" he asked. The first man gave the second a proud grin, "Because I'm saving up for something that I can't pay for with my savings." This excited the second man. "What is it Josuke!".

The first man returned a proud grin, "I'm gonna buy a Lamborgini," he said. The other man returned to his confusion. "A Lamborgini? Ain't that one of those expensive cars? Why would you want something like that?" he asked. The first man, Josuke, threw his arm around his long-time friend's shoulder and leaned in close so only they could hear. "I hear if you get a fast car everyone is going to be impressed, and it even attracts chicks," explained Josuke in a whispered tone into his friend's ear. The second one's large eyes expanded even bigger at the mention of this last part.

"You mean that having an expensive car helps you find a girlfriend?" the second man, Okuyasu, whispered back. Josuke gave his friend an affirming nod with the kind of huge smile his friends knew him for. Okuyasu became more excited. "You mean like a real girlfriend Josuke? The kind of one where you grow old together?" he asked.

"Exactly like that" he nodded back to Okuyasu. Okuyasu screamed, "Oh boy! Come on Josuke, let's go get a car!". Josuke brought his head back down low as they continued their walk back from work to Josuke's apartment. "It's not just any car Okuyasu, it's a Lamborgini. "Oh, boy Josuke!" Okuyasu shouted once more, "I can't wait to have a girlfriend! Me and her, we'll kiss and hug each other every night until we pass out!".

This caused the two girls walking past them on the sidewalk to quicken their pace. Josuke knew Okuyasu's intentions were as pure as they got, but his scary face made it hard for him to make friends, let alone girlfriends.

If he was being honest, the car was probably more meant to help his friend find someone special to him. He hoped the plan would work.

"Oi Josuke look your plan worked, we don't even have to get a Lamborgini yet, your a genius" shouted Okuyasu.

He stopped on the corner of the street and turned around to see there was, in fact, a young woman stopped in front of him making a casual pose next to a fire hydrant. She couldn't have been over the age of 20. She wore an outfit of green and black with an exposed midriff. She was probably the most muscular woman he had ever seen in his time. She looked like a criminal in the making, she even had an arm with a tattoo of a pink and blue butterfly.

"Are you Josuke Higashikata?" she asked. He looked her up and down, her gaze was familiar. He swore he had felt it somewhere before. It wasn't just her gaze however, she seemed to radiate confidence. When he didn't answer she turned to the side and sighed.

"Goddamnit," she cursed and took a step back. "Are you Josuke Higashikata, 27 years old, the son of Joseph Joestar?" she asked clearly annoyed she had to do this a second time, "Yes, or no." Josuke started at her for another second before it finally clicked, "Do you know Jotaro?' he asked.

She flinched at the question. Jolyne had heard stories of how his father had been able to read people's actions like open books, but she had never believed them. After all, they came straight from the guy who claimed to defeat a group of ancient hamon super vampires singlehandedly with the technical support of the Third Reich, the guy who was known for bluffing and making up stories, and the guy who had cheated on his wife after swearing up and down he only had eyes for her for years on end. His word wasn't really worth much, especially to those close to him. Josuke read her shocked expression and gave her a warm grin. He had learned how to read people from his fights against stand users, and he could tell he was on to something. She was a little too young to be a college so this must be the daughter he was always mentioning back in the day.

"Are you his daughter?" Josuke pressed, excited that he was finally getting to meet her. A big smile grew on Okuyasu's face as he watched the two talk. "You're Jolyne right?" said Josuke. Jolyne stayed quiet as he continued. "

Nice to meet you, I'm Josuke Higashikata." The girl took his open palm without hesitation.

"Nice to meet you too" she replied. Okuyasusu continued to stare at her with a goofy grin on his face. "Josuke, this is her right!" shouted Okuyasu clearly excited. The man was practically bouncing up and down. Jolyne was visibly confused about Okuyasu but kept her mouth shut anyway.

"I was under the impression this town was defended by a group of stand users, is that correct?" she asked. Josuke and Okuyasu looked at each other and gave her a huge smile.

"There are actually a lot of us all around town," Josuke said turning back to Jolyne, "but yeah I pretty sure your dad means us".

"How is Jotaro," Okuyasu asked. Jolyne looked between the both of them. Josuke watched her expression darken at the mention of Jotaro's name and decided a quick change of subject might do her some good. For whatever reason the subject of her father was touchy. Josuke would try and prod later, but for now, he wanted to cheer her up a bit. He raised a finger quickly coming up with a plan.

"I know Okuyasu," he turned to face the other man, "let's take Jolyne for a tour of Morioh,". Jolyne began to protest before Josuke stopped her. "I don't want to hear it," said Josuke. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and began to lead her down the street in the opposite direction. Okuyasu followed with a smile across his face. "Oi Josuke, where should we go first?" Okuyasu asked. Josuke snickered, "You'll see" he replied with a mischievous tone.

Jolyne began to worry that Josuke might have some malicious plans for her based on the scary grin he was giving off. But it didn't take long for her to realize that her fears were ridiculous as their first stop was just a rock. Maybe it's a cultural thing she thought to herself as they stopped.

Okuyasu turned to face her bouncing up and down, "Well whattya think!?".

She stared for a bit longer trying to take in what she was supposed to be looking at before she noticed it. The rock had a face for some reason. Her confusion was clearly evident as they both snickered to themselves.

"Yo Angelo," said Josuke, greeting the strange rock between laughter.

"What is this?" Asked Jolyne. "It's Angelo," said Josuke," Say hello to him". Jolyne started at the man's face, which had been twisted into unending agony. It was pretty ugly and actually put her off quite a bit.

"Hello Angelo" she repeated awkwardly. They both chuckled again before moving on. She must have been imagining things, but for a moment she could share the man's face became even more painful for a second. Josuke giggled like a child and lead her further down the street.

As they continued down the street Jolyne stopped. "What was that?" She asked Josuke.

"That is the Angelo stone, one of Morioh's landmarks."

This puzzled Jolyne who could swear it had a face, "So it's a rock" she tried to clarify, "because for a second I could have sworn it moved". Josuke stared at it for a minute. He thought about how to answer her question. The Japanese businessman dropped his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath turning to face Jolyne.

"Josuke..." said Okuyasu. He and Josuke had talked about Angelo for a while, they had grown closer over it. After all, he knew more than anyone what it was like losing someone close to you.

"Angelo took something I loved, so I took away what he loved," Josuke replied turning back to stare at the sad abstract face carved into the stone. Okuyasu turned his gaze to the ground as he bit his lip.

Ever since his grandfather's death, he had been enacting the man's ideals the best way he could. The delinquent became a sort of cop necessary to eliminate the threat of stand users in Morioh. He teamed up and protected everyone from stand users, he even ended up killing a serial murderer who was using a stand to kill without leaving a trace. Jolyne stared at Josuke, trying to interpret what his cryptic words had truly meant. She pondered the thought for a little while but eventually decided she would learn what he meant later. Josuke summoned up his rage from deep within and spit on the ground in front of the man's eternal grave.

"And he'll stay there forever." He said spitefully.

Josuke turned to leave once more, and as he did Okuyasu followed with a wordless understanding.

Jolyne watched as they walked away, and soon followed them. These men had clearly been through a lot. They carried themselves with confidence, and their friendship was apparent from the way they spoke to each other and the small distance between them as they walked. They acted like brothers. She wondered if her father had been like that when he was here.

Or maybe he acted as a father to them. He had never seemed like a warm person, but then again, she had never seen him with friends. He still kept a photo of the only friends he made during a high school trip with him at all times, so he clearly felt deeply for those he loved. Her mind began to wander again as she thought more of her father.

Did he actually love her or mom? Did he actually want to travel to get away from them? She decided it was best to avoid thinking about it and suppressed it, a technique she had gotten fairly skilled at over the years.

Jolyne watched Josuke again in silence for a minute as they walked, but her thoughts were soon interrupted. "AAGGHH!" came a scream from the opposite direction. All three of them instinctively turned to where it had come from.

"Josuke," Jolyne started to say, but she was unable to catch him as he flew past her. Before she had time to call out after him to slow down, Okuyasu dashed past her as well, both of them sprinting back the way they came.

She cursed under her breathe before chasing after them as fast as she could. As they rounded the corner she had stopped them, they came to a dead stop. As Jolyne caught up to them she soon realized why.

One of the women that had passed by them before she had stopped them. They seemed in a hurry for some reason, and at the time she had assumed it was the nearly bald man's scary face and loud voice. The woman gave a wry smile as they rounded the corner and at the bottom of her field of vision, she noticed it moving.

A small blue water creature covered in eyes. This was no doubt a stand. It popped the top off of the fire hydrant she had leaned on earlier and water shot out in a spray covering the street in a thin layer of water.

"Yo, Josuke!" said the woman in an angry tone, "Remember me?". Josuke stared in disbelief for a second before turning his head around. His eyes made a mad dash all around for it before he saw it. The grey stone had been demolished, and the malformed stone head of Angelo had been smashed into smaller pieces on the ground. Angelo had been shattered, but standing before him was Angelo. Somehow he had a new body.

Okuyasu felt Josuke's anger rising next to him as the water from the hydrant came down on them. He turned to see Josuke's stand, a pink and blue muscular humanoid covered in hearts. Water ran down his face as the fighters took their starting positions.

Josuke's eyes darted to Okuyasu and transformed from rage into fear. Josuke began to reach out his hand to Okuyasu who stood still. Did I have something on me? Thought Okuyasu.

He looked down to see a small blue creature holding its knife-like hands to his throat. He barely got a word out before blood began rushing out of his throat.

He tried to take in a breathe but failed only succeeding to get blood in his lungs. He took another breath but nothing aside from blood filled his lungs. He tried to cough it out, but as he took another breathe to exhale more blood filled his lungs.

With the last of his breath, he collapsed and reached out his hand to where Josuke was. If Josuke could heal him he would be fine. He raised the head to see Jolyne dragging Josuke away kicking and screaming. "Oi" he tried calling out as his vision began to blur and fade, "Jo..." he got out in a final desperate gasp. He was unable to finish before his world went black.


	2. Morioh 2010 Part 2

Stand Name: Aqua Necklace

Stand Ability: The stand can take the form of any liquid and control anyone who it is inside.

Design: A liquid blue baby-like demon covered in green eyes.

Destructive power: C

Speed: C

Range: A

Durability: A

Precision: C

Development Potential: E

"Okuyasu!" Screamed Josuke as he was dragged back around the corner by the girl. She grunted as Josuke stomped his foot on hers, and planted his elbow in her stomach. "Let me go, I have to save him before it's too late, I can't let Angelo take anyone else," he said clawing at her hold, clearly desperate. Still, she refused to let go, keeping her iron grip sealed. "If I let you go, you'll just end up back in Angelo's range. You'll die before you ever getting a chance to save him" she explained with a cold, firm voice. Josuke stopped fighting her and let his body go limp as she got him a safe distance away. Once they were fully out of Angelo's range he slammed his fist into the concrete leaving the floor with a bit of blood. "I need to get to Okuyasu, Crazy diamond is the only thing that can heal him," said Josuke biting his lip. Jolyne slid down a wall to take a seat next to him. "I understand, but running in there is just going to get you killed. He was able to get to Okuyasu before he even noticed, we need to have a plan if we're going to confront him. Josuke was quiet for a minute thinking it over. The calm gave him a little more time to breathe. She watched for a few minutes as he wiped the sweat off his forehead and tapped his foot impatiently. Then, suddenly, he looked up with an uncharacteristically cold look, "I think I have a plan."

I watched as they ran away. Ever since I had been put into that rock, I was unable to think about anything else but revenge. Being a rock hadn't caused me to stop thinking, it simply caused me excruciating pain for every second that my life continued. As the pair escaped behind a corner I couldn't help but let out a deep laugh. Every action their tiny minds could conceive, I had planned out a strategy. They were going to come back around that corner in a few minutes, ready with a plan to take him out. Their plan, however, wouldn't work. He had returned from hell for the sole purpose of dragging Josuke down. He was going to settle his unfinished business with him, even if it meant he had to return. I stood still waiting. Waiting was all I had to do to win. If I had followed them around the corner, I would have lost my advantage. I wouldn't have had any water, and they would have been waiting with two stands able to punish my impatience. Josuke's stand certainly was powerful, but I'm able to outplay that idiot any day of the week. He had only lost last time because he hadn't accounted for his opponent's stand ability being so powerful. This time there wouldn't be any mistakes. Josuke took a step around the corner once again. He had clearly calmed down, not ideal, but I don't need him at a total disadvantage to win. I took a few steps back as the girl came around the corner. Last time I had lost because of an unknown factor, I need to take care to avoid her stand if she has one. Although all his cautions were thrown to the wind as Josuke approached. The girl stayed back, pushing his confidence over the edge. "Aqua Necklace" I shouted summoning my stand. What it lacked in combat power, it made up for in speed and being pretty much unkillable. "Crazy Diamond!" shouted Josuke as a pink and blue fleshy, robotic figure covered in hearts worked its way out from behind him. "Dora!" the figure shouted punching the rapidly accelerating airborne Aqua Necklace back to him. Angelo smiled, he might not have had much time to plan, but he should be able to take out the punk easily. "Dora!" shouted Crazy Diamond once more, slamming its foot into the ground. I watched as debris sprayed into the air. "Dora!" it shouted a third time as it began punching all of the rubble towards him. It didn't matter what new abilities he had, I would still claim victory through my intellect. As long as I was outside of his range he couldn't lay a finger on me. All of a sudden my thought process was broken some more of Crazy Diamond's doras. It began to punch the rubble at me. I was panicked for a second, but I was able to regain control quickly. He was simply trying to throw me off my game by throwing quick attacks at me. He punched them from a static position at me meaning they would all end up where I was standing. I simply threw myself to the left easily dodging the attacks and regained my footing. "Is that all you've got Josuke" I screamed pointing at him with the woman's extended hand. Crazy Diamond smashed the street making another hole to the left of his first and took a step back a Crazy Diamond launched another barrage of rubble at me. I laughed out loud again throwing the body to the right again. "Aqua Necklace" I shouted calling the stand to attack Josuke again. As it threw itself at him, his cold smile turned into a cocky grin as shards of rubble floated back to him like a boomerang from behind Aqua Necklace, and forced it into the roadwork. He looked up at me with that grin once again, and I felt terror flow through me. I turned to run away only to find the girl from before blocking my path. "Looks like the cowards trying to run Josuke, what do you think we should do?" she said with a dark smile. I turned around as Josuke chuckled. My face began to water as I heard Josuke speak. "I think I've had my fun. As long as he promises to never show us his face again, let him run away like the coward he is" he said. I teared up, but I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Anything, I promise. You'll never see me again!" I pleaded desperately. "Ok then, one more thing," he added, "Apologize for killing my grandfather and you can leave," said Josuke. "I'm sorry, I was wrong, just don't kill me!" I continued to plead. Once I had gotten away, I would be able to meet up with the woman who freed me from that rock, and I would get more time to plan my attack. I stood up and ran away as fast as I could. Soon Josuke would pay. I saw the end of the alleyway, but as I tried to move my foot, I couldn't. I turned horrified, Josuke was laughing. I looked down to see my foot had been encased in one of the holes Crazy Diamond had made. His feet echoed in my mind against the concrete as he approached me. I struggled to pull my foot out but as I entered his range, I began to claw at it. If I could remove it then I might be able to escape. He stopped right next to me and stared as I desperately clawed at the woman's leg peeling her skin back. He knelt down and put his hand on the leg healing it up. I was sure as I met his eyes he was able to see the absolute terror I held in them. I knew what hell looked like, and now that he was in front of me, I would soon see it again. "I thought" I barely managed to stammer out before his face contorted with rage. "You thought you could just live a nice life killing anyone else after what you've done!" he shouted. His rage became that signature cocky grin again as he stood up, staring down at me. "Crazy Diamond!" he said. I gulped and took a deep breathe as I heard my final words on earth.

"Dorararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararararar!" shouted Crazy Diamond pummeling him into the concrete of the street. The woman's body contorted in ways that should have been possible. His arms bent into her spine, and her neck rotated 1080 degrees. The more he punched the more energy seemed to leave her mouth until all of a sudden. "Agggh" came a less than masculine cry from help from her mouth. Josuke stopped his attack and removed the woman from the road. She was covered in blood, sweat, tears, water, and dust from the fight. Before anything else his eyes fell onto his best friend, bleeding out from his neck. He prayed he was fast enough as he fell to his knees calling Crazy Diamond to heal him. His pale face slowly became colorized again as life returned to him. "Oi," he coughed out, "Josuke, thanks". He was only able to get that out before he passed out from the pain. Josuke was worried for a second before he saw the man's breathing had returned to normal. Josuke sighed, "I guess I need to fix this now don't I?" he said turning to face the mess from the battle. The narrow road had been torn apart, a nearby fire hydrant had been cut open by Angelo, the air was still full of dust, and the woman's blood was on the street in various places where Angelo had recklessly thrown his exposed body around causing her skin to peel and burn. But as he was looking around he noticed a robed figure hiding in the darkness around the corner they had come from, and a large rocky stand covered in writing and small holes. Small streams of sand fell out of the holes covering most of its body, and its mouth was sealed with what appeared to be a gold plate with more strange writing on it. "Jolyne!" he shouted, "behind you!". She turned with expert reaction time, fast enough to see the stand fade from visibility, and its user to run away. Even though she had just seen it for a second, she was able to recognize that stand anywhere. It had been the same one that had put Josuke in a coma, the same one that had brought her here. "Josuke, you and I should talk about why I am here," said Jolyne giving him a grim look.


	3. Lucy Gray Part 1

Stand Name: Golden Experience Requiem

Stand Ability: Can turn an opponent's actions or will to zero. Whoever is hit with this ability will even have their death turned to zero, meaning he will repeatedly experience death over and over again.

Design: A requiem arrow is buried in its head. It wears an armor of white and twisting gold with spots of green and purple. Its head flows back like hair in the wind.

Destructive power: None

Speed: None

Range: None

Durability: None

Precision: None

Development Potential: None

I watched from outside the window into a small, cramped public library where there was barely any room to move. At a small coffee table sat a young man, not yet 25 illuminated by candlelight. Despite his great influence over the mob and strangely enigmatic stand he still took some time for himself. He turned the final page of the chapter and marked his book with a small strip of paper. As he stood up and turned to leave he noticed the entrance was blocked by two familiar figures. One was a tall man with a purple and blue shirt cut off at the midriff complete with a matching helmet. The other a petite woman dressed in a gown cut vertically to allow her to move. She also had a midriff. The members of the Mafia seemed to dress in stranger clothing as time went on. That may seem ridiculous, but it only made them more recognizable, and intimidating. I watched from the shadows as he got up to greet his friends. "You can't keep sneaking off like this Giorno, people are talking." said the man with a sour expression, "They already think you're sneaking off to have an affair with me". I chuckled at my handiwork. I had spread the word among the proper channels that the boss was having an affair with his right hand to make him a target of his enemies, however, nobody had really made a move against him yet. The woman glared at him for a second before she broke out in a burst of hardy laughter. "What!" said the man trying to understand the source of her joy. "It's because your always sneaking looks at him" the pink woman explained. "I'm only watching him, it's my job" he communicated clearly exasperated by the number of times he had to explain this to people, "We have a lot of enemies who could attack at any second. "Yeah right, no one would be dumb enough to try and attack Giorno," said the woman in a condescending tone. "You'd be surprised," said Giorno with an amused smirk. The comment caught both of them off guard. "What are talking about Giorno?" asked Mista confused. "Don't worry about it, and sorry for". He stopped for a second to think about his next words. "SIipping off" he said with a warm smile only a pickpocket could pull off. "I just wanted to accomplish some light reading" he said. Judging by the sweat on their forehead, and rings under their eyes he hadn't just slipped off. I decided that I had gotten all I was going to get out of this and should probably move on. As I did my curiosity got the better of me and I snuck a peek at the cover of the book he had been reading. The book was titled, _The Senator that never was; A detailed account of the life and influence of Senator Phillips_. The name wasn't familiar, and the book was in English. It must have been a pain to read. As I turned my head back, I caught Giorno's gaze following me. I saw an even stranger sight, a golden figure was now standing next to Giorno. Despite this, he made no moves to stop me. As I walked away I heard him continue his conversation with his friends.

I walked fairly quickly away, it would be best to avoid the eyes of everyone in Italy on me. They were all children playing a game of gangster. Mista was fairly observant, he knew people were talking. As Giorno's focus shifted from the mafia, people started to notice. If this continued the way it was going there would be a war. Even if Giorno, was left standing upon the rubble of Passione, I would be able to claim victory over him in his weakened state. As I went through the details of my plan I bumped into someone. A tall Japenese man wearing a long white coat, and a white hat that confused me the more I looked at it. "Excuse me, ma'am, have you seen this person," he said holding out a photo of a black-haired Giorno. Why did Giorno have black hair in that photo? As if he could read my mind he replied, "A colleague informed me that his hair looks golden now". I began to panic. I had everything planned out. I knew who was going to take what sides, when they were going to fight, now a new variable entered the problem. The man stared at me with cold indifference, "Well I suppose if you havn't then I should be…". "Wait!" I stopped him. Why had I stopped him, my brain began to steam as I panicked. If he jeopardized my plan I would have to deal with him. I began to think of how I could use my stand but stopped myself as I took a deep breath. "I believe I saw a young man who looks like that in the library down this road," I said putting on my helpless act. He started at me just long enough to make me uncomfortable before he thanked me and moved on. Had he noticed my breathing, I could swear he saw through my act. I had to follow him if he was going to ruin my plan I had to know. I slowed my pace while he headed to the library and doubled back at twice the speed once I heard the door shut. I slid back under the window. This was going to be risky now that the sun was up, it was a good thing Giorno had picked such an isolated location. Still, the man might be able to solve my Giorno problem before I had to do anything.

I watched with stunted breaths as he approached Giorno and his closest associates. The stranger's face was unreadable as He pulled up a chair at the table, placed his feet on top of it, and turned his eyes to directly meet Giorno. Giorno's friends were clearly stunned by his aggressive attitude. Giorno himself just observed with that same smile he held earlier. "Could you please step out for a second?" He asked his friends. They exchanged a worried look but gave him the room. Once they had left Giorno finally broke the silence. "Well?" said Giorno. The stranger pointed a finger at Giorno as his other hand reached into his pocket. "You have a stand arrow, correct?" said the man. Giorno seemed taken aback as he summed up the situation. His smile gradually faded from his face. "Yes" replied Giorno. Their conversation had just started, and I was already lost. "I heard that arrow can grant your stand an upgrade," said the man. Giorno nodded his head tense from the man's knowledge. I wondered how this man had come across such information but I didn't have time to wonder too much as their conversation continued. "I am prepared to trade for it," said the stranger again. "I know you've been searching for your father, and I might be able to help," he pitched. As he said this he drew his other hand out of his pocket removing his wallet and back of an aged Polaroid. I could only see the backside but Giorno was clearly shocked by whatever it was. I clutched the wall tighter sweat falling down my face. What was I watching? Giorno's father? From what I understood his father was an Italian man. "Who are you?" said Giorno cautiously. The man threw the photo on the desk in front of him. It was a strangely muscular blond man holding a hand to his face. "The name is Jotaro Kujo," said the man at the table. "Giorno Giovanna," said Giorno placing one hand on his chest. Giorno walked around Jotaro running his hand along the aged bookshelves. As he did his eyes darted back and forth between the book he had been reading and the photo Jotaro had produced. He stopped when he reached a dark corner by the window and knelt down reaching his hand into the shadows. From it, he produced an old turtle. The animal looked like it had just woken up. "What is it Giorno" asked the turtle in a raspy voice. "I need the arrow," said Giorno. "I hope you know what you're doing?" said the turtle. Arrow? What were they talking about? The turtle lowered its head as if to bow and Giorno reached his hand within its shell. After it rooted around in their I saw him pull out a small intricate arrowhead much fancier than the arrow that had pierced me and presented it to Jotaro. "This is the requiem arrow," said Giorno, "a special stand arrow that lets one achieve their purpose at the point they are pricked.". "I used the arrow during my fight with a man known as Diavolo to achieve Golden Experience Reqiuem" said Giorno as a tall yellow and gold figure emerged from behind Giorno. It held its hands over the arrow as he continued, "It evolved to grant me the ability to stop him from ever reaching the truth". "To think a stand as powerful as yours actually existed," said Jotaro. "Of course I'm not just going to give you the arrow," said Giorno closing his hand around it, "Why do you want this arrow?". "I've spent my life trying to protect my family and friends. I won't get into the details here, but my family is in trouble that I don't know if I can defeat without its help," said Jotaro. "Obtaining this arrow cost me more than you can imagine, and keeping it safe has been a heavier burden then I doubt anyone will really know, but I, understand wanting to protect those close to you," said Giorno. Jotaro nodded his head wordlessly as he let a light sigh. "I'm going to need to explain to you something before we trade anything," said Giorno. "This arrow grants you your most immediate wish, so if you want to defeat an enemy, they must be standing in front of you. Given this information, Mr. Kujo," explained Giorno, "You'd have to take the arrow with you". Jotaro nodded his understanding as Giorno continued, "If an enemy stand user were to ever get this arrow, you would lose". This was my chance! I had been coming to this library to watch Giorno for weeks, and finally, he had revealed a flaw in his organization. All I had to do was get that arrow, and I could defeat Giorno. "Well then what did you want to know about Dio?" said Jotaro.


	4. Lucy Gray Part 2

Stand Name: Lucy Gray

Stand Ability: Can give material forms to anxieties at the expense of her own physical health. The anxieties and fears will manifest in the form of a small, breakable, clay devil figurine. The devils will only target those whose fears haven't been manifested trying to kill them. The stand's spawn do not appear out of thin air and must physically tear open its host to join the legion.

Design: The stand is a humanoid with a hollow body. The stand is exposed in several places by gaping holes revealing a glass heart. The stand has prominent hands which it uses to mold the tiny porcelain devils.

Destructive power: E (The stand has no actual power behind its attacks. The legion it creates each have a E in strength by themselves which can quickly become A if enough are created.)

Speed: C (The legion has C)

Range: C (The legion has E)

Durability: E (The legion has E)

Precision: B (The legion has E)

Development Potential: B (The legion has none)

His gaze was unreadable, but I still tried to figure out what was happening. Giorno and Jotaro spoke at length. It started with Jotaro explaining the family curse, with tales of his great-great-grandfather fighting off the forces of darkness. His tale was interwoven with stands and struggles. Giorno listened intently as Jotaro told his story. Much of it didn't seem right but I still listened anyway. It was an epic tale of good vs evil. While it seemed very oversimplified his tale of overcoming the odds was heartwarming. He brushed over most of the conflicts in between but he seemed sincere. It made me feel for his position. I would probably have to kill him to get the arrow if he was being honest about his experience with this DIO character. Giorno sat holding the turtle to his lap. "I killed him," said Jotaro, finally done with his story. Giorno sat staring at the green creature resting on him. He sat in thought for a great deal of time before finally responding. "Thank you for taking care of him," said Giorno finally finding the words he wanted to say. His expression formed a painful mixture of confusion and completion. "I've always felt as if there was a war raging within myself," said Giorno, "and while I'm unsure if knowing this is better for me, I certainly feel more at ease with myself". "I've always felt like maybe one day I might become the evil that I fought so hard to stop, but knowing that there is good within me as well gives me a joy I cannot begin to express," he said.

Giorno tapped the shell of the turtle and spoke softly trying to wake it up from its nap. Its eyes opened gently as the noon light flowed into its eyes. "This is my turtle," said Giorno beginning to rub the turtle's chin. It raised it in satisfaction. "I think you might be surprised to learn you probably already know each other. Before he became a turtle he was a French man known as Polnereff," said Giorno turning his head back up to meet Jotaro. For the first time since I had bumped into him earlier, Jotaro looked surprised. "Good grief," he said lowering his malformed hat. The turtle looked around confused. "He used to tell me stories of his past adventures and his best friend, an emotionally closed-off delinquent. But it's been years since he's taken that body and for some reason, his memories seem to be fading," said Giorno. Jotaro's cap obscured any readable expression he could have displayed in that instant. He outstretched his hand to touch the turtle. It looked up at him with a brief, fading glint of recognition in his hand. "He helps me protect the arrow, but if he is to lose himself I would prefer he lose himself in the company of his best friend," said Giorno. There was a long pause. "For these reasons, I ask you to take him with you?" he finally asked. Jotaro's hand stopped as he returned it to his pocket. Jotaro nodded his head and Giorno handed over the sleepy turtle. Jotaro took him and held him close. Then he leaned in and whispered in his ear. I was almost alarmed at the thought that they knew they were being watched but as he leaned out he asked a question that set my mind at ease. "Do you have the arrow?" he asked. Jotaro nodded and patted his left coat pocket. "Thank you for your time," said Jotaro. Giorno nodded and got up to open the door for him.

I realized he was soon going to be walking out that door and I quickly moved along to round the corner from earlier as Jotaro walked out the door and in the same direction I had escaped. Barely anyone walked down this road so if he saw me here it could be suspicious. I ran along the back streets and didn't stop until I reached the main road. It took a few minutes of running but I had been working out when I had time to get ready for my plan. Once I had made it to a busy street I waited for him to catch up. After he had made it to the main streets I wanted to trail him, but as he walked up he hailed a cab. I had to follow him. If Jotaro managed to escape me here my chance of beating Giorno would be lost forever. I tried my best to think of a way out of this without letting him know I was here. I panicked looking around for something, anything I could use.

I watched with growing anxiety as a cab pulled up to Jotaro. "One", he said to the cab driver inside. My time was running out. My hands fell to the gun in my pocket, the one I had planned to save for later. I might need to use that now. "Of course sir," said the cab driver, and Jotaro stepped inside of the cab. I took a deep breath and pushed my way through the crowd to the cab. As the door began to close I called out "Hold on!". The cab driver turned to face me. "Whaddya want a kid?" he asked. "I need a ride," I said. "Airport?" the driver asked. I was grateful he had said it, otherwise, it might have been difficult catching up to Jotaro. "Yes," I responded. "All right kid, get in said the driver. He was an old man with a mustache so thick it covered part of his mouth and a balding spot on his head and an unbuttoned shirt. I took a deep breath and did my best not to look at Jotaro right next to me. The cab drove through the city of Naples, and my thoughts turned away from the anxiety of my upcoming fight, to the beautiful scenery of the city. My thoughts drifted through the city as he drove reminding me of where I used to play when I was a kid. The ice cream parlor passed by reminding me of the time I had eaten ice cream with the other kids in my class and just talked for a bit about our lives. My memories of my mother and father came back for a second before I pushed them away. The constant visits to church had only turned me against any chance at religion, the constant beatings and screaming to keep me in line only encouraged me to stay away from home for as long as possible until I started hanging out with the wrong crowd. shook me out of the trance as the driver pulled up to the airport and named his price.

I barely paid attention but handed him a large amount of money to draw attention away from myself. Jotaro stepped out of the taxi and I followed. I tried my best to avoid him but considering we were heading to the same place it was difficult. He opened the door and I followed him I panicked and froze as he turned to face me. What did he want? Had he noticed me watching him? I gradually began to sweat as I made my way through the airport with him in front. He didn't have any bags, but neither did I. So we both walked next to each other. I needed to stay close if I didn't want to lose him. As we made it to the baggage check I began to panic as I realized I still had my gun in my pocket. I bent my spine back to stay away from Jotaro so he wouldn't hear me. "Lucy Gray" I whispered calling my stand out. I needed to be careful. My stand had a good enough range, but if Jotaro was a stand user he would be able to see it. "I took a deep breath a let out a low, but sharp "Ora!" My stand hit me to activate its ability. My fear and anxiety faded away. A small, but fat and greasy hand itself upon the inside of my lip and began to hold it open. A small fork fit itself between my lips and pried them open. A 1-foot creature made from my fear took physical form. It appeared to be a small devil-like creature. It crawling out of my widened mouth. I handed it my gun. Even though I couldn't fully control them, they would only attack if I allowed them to. Unfortunately, if I told them to attack I wouldn't be able to stop them. Even using them outside of the fight was risky, but if I got caught here I would lose. I pointed at an elderly male guard. The small spawn of Lucy Gray hopped out of my mouth causing my flesh to expand into a bubble on my hand and popped silently. I winced at the stand's price and watched it slowly work its way over to the guard on two fat tiny legs. Each small hop of the creature left a puddle of grease under its feet. It headed over to the guard on the other side of the security checkpoint. He began to giggle as he felt it crawl up his leg but did his best to keep his head up. It took a few minutes, but both of us got through without any problems. As we started heading through the airport I fell behind him a bit. Despite not seeing anything, I felt his eyes on me. I reached my hand behind as I felt the tingling of little arms and legs climbing up me. The legion my stand created earlier had returned to me with my gun. It was now or never. I looked around at the crowded airport around me and grasped the greasy gun with my left hand. It almost slipped out of my hand, but I managed to stop it. I pointed the gun at Jotaro. Click. "Lucy Gray!" I screamed firing the gun and calling out my stand at the same time. The creature clasping the back of my leg dropped and started hurrying to Jotaro. At the same time, Lucy Gray flew past the crowd punching as many people as possible. Also happening at the same time I had fired my bullet at Jotaro. "Star Platinum the.." everything started spinning as I flew backward spinning diagonally. My preparation was worth it. Whatever Jotaro's power was, it was something a bullet couldn't stop. But now my army was ready I pointed. Small creatures invisible to most crawled out of holes in people. Out of mouths, out of ears, and out of the noses. People screamed as their flesh stretched unnaturally. They erupted from every open orifice. People screamed and the crowd spread. I struggled to stay up as every part of my body grew black and black breaking out with trauma. My stand could be deadly, but it came with a price. I can remove emotional distress at the price of physical pain. The emotional pain would manifest as a small red creature who secreted grease. They often grossed me out, but I suppose that is why they existed. I raised my arm once more to Jotaro who now had manifested his stand. A purple and blue spartan with pauldrons and a loincloth had was screaming while punching back to legion I had called from the army. The devils couldn't make a targeted attack but instead would go for anyone with emotional distress. I pulled the trigger releasing another bullet into his stand. He ducked down and was only scraped in the shoulder with the bullet. My stand continued to attack the bystanders causing them to birth more devils from the distress of the gunshot and being attacked by an invisible force. As Jotaro fell to the floor, his eyes darted over to a silhouetted figure standing behind a pillar. For a second I thought I caught a shine off of it before my attention was dragged back to Jotaro who had started shouting "Star Platinum the..!". And just like that, he had vanished. I began to worry for only a second but I would be fine. After all the legion would attack anyone with emotional distress. The army now covered the floor and walls of the airport spreading out to find Jotaro. However, not all of them moved. My slight moment of panic became dread as more and more started to face me with their cruel smiles. The legion slowly accumulated turning to face me. My heart sank as they dashed towards me, but once they had found a target, they wouldn't stop. I couldn't even get rid of them without killing them, a feat my very fragile stand could not achieve. My legs gave in to the dozens of red forks now skewering it from all angles. As I fell one even made its way through my heel into my leg. More and more forks worked their way up my body. Through my chest, driving multiple wedges into my ribcage, cracking it open. One they reached my face, they covered my vision driving their forks through the bottom of my face and my tongue. My eyes were only able to see the red fork. I was unable to even close my eyes. Their tiny voices whispered nonsense into my ears. As I laid down for what was presumably the last time. I felt them continue moving. They would continue after my death destroying everything that feels around me. My final thoughts drifted back to the one who had saved me. When I was angry with the world and tried to stand up for myself. When I got too violent with the kids who had bullied me for years. When I had laid cold and beaten on the front porch of my house betrayed by those who had birthed me. When she had told me that all I needed to do was take a breath. When she had looked after me.


	5. I'll be Stone Free Part 1

Stand Name: Star Platinum

Stand Ability: Very precise.

Star finger: increase length of finger to hit far away target.

The World: Can Stop time for about 2 seconds.

Design: A purple gladiator with lengthy black hair and gold pauldrons.

Destructive power: A

Speed: A

Range: C

Durability: A

Precision: A

Development Potential: Complete

My dad was in the hospital bed. He had always seemed like a great, and invincible warrior when he was raising me. He always tried to stay out of trouble, but it always seemed to find him. When I was little I was attacked by a stranger in a hoodie, but he had managed to scare him away without raising his hands from his pockets.

However, despite this, the plane he was traveling with had fallen from the sky in a spiral and skid along the runway upturning concreting. Smoke poured out of the upturned engines blowing away in the gentle morning breeze. The memory of the early morning light and dewdrops on the grass next to the runway had left me speechless.

My mind was filled with adrenaline at the time. I was waiting for my dad to come back from his business trip with some people from the Speedwagon Foundation, and my mom. I don't know why I had moved without hesitation into the flaming wreck.

My feelings about my dad were complicated, and so were my mothers. Despite this, I had torn away at the wreckage with my bare hands. Once the door was off of its hinges I dived inside. My father was leaning on a chair, eyes still open in front of a crowd of passed out people.

The front half of the plane had been covered in grease and he still was staring past me into the fire as if hypnotized. I felt the rush of wind and the splat of grease flying into the wall behind me as he finally seemed to fall to his knees.

He was covered in many dozens of small holes.

"Are you all right here honey?" asked the nurse with a heavy southern, American accent. I nodded. "Okay sugar, but if need anything don't hesitate to come to get me, is the only one on duty here so I'm spread pretty thin right now." "Alright," I said.

She had been left alone by everyone for a while with her thoughts. She looked down at the pendant her mother had given her dad. At the time she had said it was a good luck charm, but the longer she was left to stare at it, the more she felt uncomfortable.

"Your father said to give it to you if you ever ran into trouble," mother had explained, "So I'm hoping it might give him the strength to break out of his coma."

The golden pendant glinted in the early morning sun. The amulet was a cylindrical golden object with a u shaped crease from the bottom to the top. I picked at the crease with my nails for a second before finally opening it up. It was dark inside except for a small glint.

I raised it as far as the chain places around his neck would allow and held it to the light.

I still couldn't quite see it so I stuck a finger inside carefully to feel around. Almost like magic, my finger was pricked causing me to drop the amulet and recoil. Despite it only being a prick it felt like much more. Electricity seemed to run through my body.

I shook my hand and stepped away from him. I closed the amulet and put it back on him. I left the room, I just needed to take a break from standing near him.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the door was an old nurse with a black-veiled face.

She was walking down the hall with each step seeming deliberately calculated to make as little noise as possible. She wore long back sleeves and gloves despite her outfit being the standard greenish hospital scrubs.

As I walked down the hospital corridor I passed the odd nurse.

I was barely able to see through her veil, but she appeared older than the others.

The odd nurse walked past me and opened the door I had just left into Jotaro's room. I turned as she entered the room. She wasn't supposed to go in there.

A strange glowing figure made of stone and sand with writing strange ancient writings had spontaneously appeared behind her. It was covered in dozens, possibly hundreds of tiny holes that released sand in streams down its sides that seemed to disappear before touching the floor. Its mouth was covered in a golden plate with more of the strange symbols. The utterly alien appearance of it sent chills down her spine.

Whoever they were, they probably weren't a nurse. The nurse with the heavy southern accent had just told her that she was the only one on duty a few minutes ago.

Aside from being suspicious, she gave me a terrible gut feeling. I turned back. Despite my feelings about my father, I had to save him. I walked at first but picked up speed dashing to his room. "Hey you, stop!"

The fake nurse turned to look back at me meeting my eyes as the door closed. I grabbed the door handle shook it. No good, the door was locked.

I peeked through the small glass window panel. Inside the woman was standing over Jotaro. Next to her with its arm raised to strike him was the strange creature from before. "No!"

I summoned up all of my strength and slammed my shoulder against the door. I needed to get him out of there quickly. She stopped for a second as I shouted finally noticing me. The door shook as I tried to break it down again.

She turned back to Jotaro and the creature's hand fell incredibly fast towards. I needed to stop her! Whatever it takes!

I took a deep breath in stepping back. I quickly drew my fist back and threw it at the door with all I had.

PSSHHCHHH! The door splintered off of its hinges flying into the creature's face. I jumped forward and clocked the woman in the face with my fist throwing her to the floor. A satisfying thud followed as her cheek met the floor.

"Get up!" I said coldly. She started to stand up pushing with her arms for the floor.

"You'll regret…" As soon as she started speaking I kicked her teeth.

"Agghhh!" She screamed holding a broken tooth and a stream of blood with a single hand under her mouth. Her vail had ripped to reveal only a bloody mouth.

"Carry On!" She yelled with a sadistic grin.

"Whatever you say," I said lifting her by the shirt collar and punching her. The realization of what she had just walked into hit her only a moment before my fist.

She flew backward into the alien being leaking sand. The creature responded by punching me once with its other arm. The single punch had had enough force to send me flying back against the wall.

I coughed and took a moment to catch my breath. Just as I did, I noticed two pairs of feet in front of me. The nurse and the monolith man stood before me menacingly. She leaned against a table still grinning with blood escaping from the corner of her veil into an outstretched palm. The creature raised its arms preparing to strike me. "Uo'll for that" she bragged with a now temporary lisp.

I had been able to capture their attention, but I couldn't let it hit me again. I'm not sure I would be able to stand anymore.

I started to stand up but was interrupted by the creature's fist heading towards my head. There're was. I time to dodge.

Before I knew what was happening my instincts kicked in and I tried sidestepped.

I was caught by the corner of its large fist which slammed my shoulder into the wall. My whole body shook as my bones collided at a high speed with the wall and started getting crushed between the two.

"Raghh!" I screamed, stepping back from the creature.

"Giwe aht up wittle girl you can't win!" The woman screamed with an old and condescending voice. "SHUT UPP!" I screamed. Normally I think of something smarter than that, but I was full of adrenaline.

I couldn't put punch this thing, so I had to do something else. But what could I do to beat this thing?

I took a deep breath. My eye caught a blue shimmer around my arms and body. Come to think of it, I haven't really been bleeding at all either, despite its attacks.

I moved my arm and the shimmer moved with it. I concentrated on just the shimmer for a moment and was able to easily move it independently. It was just an arm, but I felt more.

As it moved I understood what it was. Knowing that I wracked my head for a plan.

I stood up and straightened my back. My shoulder burned as I pushed it into a more confident position.

"I don't know who you are, or what you want but if you think I'll let you kill my father you're mistaken," I exclaimed.

The nurse said nothing but chuckled loud enough for me to just barely hear. I kept my cold stare singularly fixed on her until she had finished her laugh.

"You done?" I asked. She sneered cruelly.

"Carry On!". The creature closed the distance between us. My body felt light as I called out my stand's name for the first time.

"Stone Free!" I shouted. With a loud cry "ORA!" the stand emerged from within me throwing a heavy punch. Carry On raised its arms up to block the attack.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORA!" My stand shouted pushing Carry On towards the window. It beat her down until she had her back to the wall. Despite my exhaustion, I knew I couldn't let it show. I walked forward slowly. My thought was interrupted by a loud voice from down the hall.

"What is going on down there?" came the voice with a heavy southern accent. It was the nurse from earlier. It wasn't likely, but the woman could be dangerous to the bystanders. I needed to make a play, and push her into a position from which she would be forced to focus on me and not civilians.

She was stronger and tougher than me, so I had to outthink her to win.

"ORA!" My stand cried again, but this time the blow failed to connect. Carry On had disappeared and the woman had dropped low to the ground.

She ran towards me with startling speed and grabbed my torso. With one swift motion, she raised me up and fell down on me behind her. I felt my back crack for a second under the pressure and I counted myself lucky she wasn't very heavy. I stood to my feet again with her.

"Carry On!" she yelled calling her stand once more. My back was now to the window, and if I pushed her back she would have as much room as she needed to wait me out. I threw a punch at Carry On. Its large stone hand pushed my fist toward the left wall where my father was waiting. My fist stopped in front of my dad. Luckily, this was my plan, and she been playing right into it for a while.

I grinned as I tugged at the strings coming from each of my arms. "Stone Free!" I shouted calling the stand behind me.

"Crash!" the window shattered causing the glass to fall onto the sidewalk three stories below. I quickly turned in a semicircle and dashed towards the 'open' window. Once I reached the ledge I turned to meet her smug grin.

"Wunning already?" she gloated still with a heavy lisp.

"Ah gues Ah'll be ahble to get what ah need from Hotaro and then…" she was cut off by my backward jump out of the window. I met her eyes as I tugged on my strings connected to Jotaro yanking him out of the bed and into my arms.

I gave her a wink as I dropped like a stone out of the third story window.


	6. I'll be Stone Free Part 2

Stand Name: Carry On Wayward Son (Carry On)

Stand Ability: The stand can resurrect dead people by placing their souls inside of living bodies. The process for this is similar to breathing.

Design: A large sandstone golem looking creature with gold plates on certain parts of its body. Its mouth has a special golden plate marked with an alien symbol. Its body has small amounts of sand pouring out of it at all times.

Destructive power: A

Speed: D

Range: E

Durability: A

Precision: C

Development Potential: B

My shoulder tinged with pain as I tugged him through the window. I kept it as straight as possible while falling and looked around for anything I could use. There were no tall objects around to hang from leaving me with only one feasible option. I quickly latched onto the windowsill with my still working arm. I felt my body drop and arm be pulled to an unnatural length as Jotaro fell below me pulling me down with all his weight. I let my arm become string and stretch to the floor. Once we were safely touched down on the concrete floor I lifted him over my shoulder and began to jog away as fast as I could with a large man on my back. I got odd looks from pedestrians on the sidewalk. It didn't matter though, I needed to escape to a place she wouldn't be able to find me. I looked around frantically for something, anything I could use. All I could see was the carpark full of empty cars belonging to people in the hospital. HONK HONK!

That's when I heard it, my miracle. An ambulance pulled up to the front of the hospital giving me my chance. I doubled back and banged on the door of the ambulance. The driver looked at me confused. "Yes Miss?" he asked. "This man is injured, I need to borrow this!" I explained quickly. The man gave me a sinister grin. "You mean, THIS ambulance?" he asked smugly. This was not the reaction I had expected, I had expected him to mention how we were already at the hospital. "I suppose I could take you for a ride for a small tip," he continued with a sleazy grin. "How much to borrow it?" I asked. His grin somehow managed to make me even more uncomfortable as he leaned in close. "$500 upfront, $500 when you bring it back," he proposed. I made a show of removing my wallet, but as my hand reached in I manipulated the string in my hands to become $500 in 5 $100 bills. Hopefully, he wouldn't notice the George Washington picture on the front. He grinned from ear to ear as he snatched the bill out of my hands and pocketed them. I left a nearly invisible thin strand attached to each as I stepped into the front of the van and threw Jotaro in the passenger's seat. A nurse came flying through the glass doors of the hospital and onto Jotaro's window. Despite my door still being open, I floored it. The man's smug smile slowly faded as it planted itself in my window and slowly slide down falling onto the concrete. Still, his face remained mostly happy as he clutched the money I had given him staring at it with greed. That was until the thread I had attached began to drag him along."No, NO, NOO!" he cried as the bills flew back into my hand and I closed the door. The money fused back into my flesh and I threw my foot onto the gas pedal. The tires screeched and we lurched forward as I wove my way in and out of traffic. I heard a roar behind me breaking my concentration for a second. It must have been some trick, but I could swear Jotaro flinched for a second. I turned towards a rear-view mirror angled in just a way to show a large hoard of some small devil-like creatures following the car throwing each other after me. Small forks flew began to rain down on the ambulance. As one fell into Jotaro's lap I recognized it immediately. It was identical to the other wounds he had had when he crashed. The sight of his wounds was near to me. But wherever these creatures had come from, they had just gotten my attention. The stakes had been raised and the fight had just become personal. I needed to take care of that, but my stand was close range. Despite it being as flat as I could make it, I still slammed my foot down on the gas. I needed to find a way out of this. I didn't know what those creatures were, but getting caught by them couldn't be good. Car and the rod itself was being torn apart in their wake.

Sweat dripped down my face as I pulled out my phone and punched the numbers into the keypad. RiNg… RiNg… RiNg. RrIiNnGg… RrIiNnGg… RrIiNnGg… RrIiNnGg. "Hello" came a familiar but aged voice from the other end. "Hello Suzie Q?" I yelled into the phone. "Oh Jolyne, is that you?" she asked. "Yes, yes it's me. Listen closely, I need you to get me in contact with someone from the Speedwagon foundation" I said. "What's that sound Jolyne? Are you in a car?" she asked swiftly changing the topic. I turned to the windshield to see cars swerving to avoid my reckless driving. Behind me, the creatures were quickly approaching. "Great Grandma please" I plead. "Oh alright, but you've got to call me back soon. I never hear from you anymore. And make sure you keep yourself safe," she said. "Fine, just get me the number" I agreed.

I was very much regretting not grabbing the man's card from the table back at the hospital, but I could work around it. My attention was divided but could do it. First and foremost I want to save Jotaro. Secondly, I need to kill the witch who had attacked me at the hospital if possible. And finally, I needed to get rid of these small creatures. Listing them out in my head made the order of events pretty simple. I need to get rid of these creatures first, and then kill that witch! But if those creatures had survived the plane crash with Jotaro, they were going to be hard to kill. I punched the siren and looked around for a road map. Got it! It was shoved under the feet of Jotaro. I carefully leaned down and met my fingers with it. Almost. "BEEP!" I instinctively shot back up as a man angrily drove past waving his arm at me. I had to be more careful. I slowly reached down keeping my eyes on the road as much as possible and gabbed the map diverting my eyes for only a second and grabbed the map from under Jotaro's shoes. My eyes quickly shifted between the paper and the and road. It wasn't efficient, but after a minute I had found what I was looking for. Now I only needed one more thing. I pulled out my phone and dialed up the Speedwagon Foundation. "Hello this is Jolyne, I have some information on what Jotaro knows, come pick me up at Lake Okeechobee Florida, and I'll tell you everything you need to know.

…

Lake Okeechobee, Florida

I had been behind the wheel for hours, advice certainly contrary to drivers ed, and something that might have been the death of me if I hadn't been used to this. Not that being accustomed to staying up was a good thing at the end of the day. I had been forced to put all-nighters in for homework and night shifts countless times. Not that anyone had ever cared that I was throwing my small life away for money. I rubbed my eyes with a closed fist and let out an angry yawn. My tired eyes checked the gauge for the last time on this long trip. To say I was running out fumes would be an exaggeration. My foot slammed the breaks and I stopped the ambulance facing the lake. I took a deep breath and prayed that this would work. As I had learned through the trip, the creatures would never slow down, but I could escape them slowly with the help of the ambulance. But my goal had never been to escape. I heard trees fall in the distance and felt a tinge of guilt for the towns I had driven through to get here. Hopefully, this would be their final destination. I opened the car door and hopped out into the early morning air. It wasn't cold, but it was cold for Florida. The morning air sent a chill down my body that made me regret not putting more one. I turned to look inside the van again and Jotaro, my dad. He had never been around. My feelings for him were complicated. If only he had been around more, maybe my life would have been better. I reached over and took off his coat. When I saw him dressed up with his belts and coat as a kid, I wanted to dress up like him. He was the embodiment of cool to me. However looking back on it, I wish he wasn't so cool. I didn't want cool, I wanted a father. A father is someone who takes looks after you and showers you in his love.

I heard the sound of the road being torn up snapping me to attention. They were here. I turned to the massive legion approaching me. I threw on my father's coat ready for the coming battle. As I did so I felt a strange weight in its pocket. I shuffled my hand around and quickly found a journal with a pen attached. I opened it up. It was labeled the property of Jotaro. I flipped through the pages quickly ignoring most of the strange sketches and designs until I reached the final page with writing. It was dated two days ago. 'Met with the ladybug, received the package, attacked on the flight home'. The bottom of the page contained the outline of what appeared to be a small arrowhead, she would have to worry about that later, but decided to make some notes in there of her own. 'To-do list; stop the legion, get dad somewhere safe, kill the nurse'. I put the journal away and struck a pose with one hand behind my head and the other pointing at them. They each individually threw each other through the trees leaving behind small fragments that slowly caught up as they traveled. They flew towards me. As they got closer I could see their malformed bodies and cracked a smile. Then they came one by one impacting my face. However moments before their victory they were stopped just out of the reach. Their tiny hand grasped the air with disgusting desperation to kill. "Stone Free" I shouted calling forth the stand from within me. I let out a barrage of punches towards the creatures. The creatures fell into tiny shards repeatedly, but as if they were some reverse Humpty dumpty, they put themselves together again almost instantly.

One by one they impacted wires. Wires I had set up for them. As they launched themselves forward they became entangled in microfibers of string I had plucked from my body until they were nothing more than a writhing mass of greasy flesh. Despite this, they were still slipping through the web. Stone Free pulled the edges together all at once by pulling the central string and locked them together into a large ball of grease and flesh. Even if it had been able to hold them perfectly, my string disappears after a certain distance. I needed to eliminate them permanently. "Stone Free!" I shouted. A studded black and blue stand formed in front of the small devil creatures starting in a squat, but slowly lifting them over its head with a heavy and drawn out, "ORRRRRRAA!". My shoulder seared with pain, but I ignored it moving on. With Stone Free at my heel, I turned on my heels and took my first step towards the lake. Just as we approached the shoreline I stumbled. It felt as if someone mad thrown a mud pie at my back. "Take that hag!" A voice screamed muffled by the bag. I turned my head to see a person trapped within the net I had woven. Their stand had manifested with its torso within the net, and upper body sticking out, flailing. "Who are you?" I asked. "The person who's going to kill you!" She screamed. I scoffed at her threat. Now that I was more focused on her voice she sounded like she had a heavy Italian accent. "You're the one who summoned these creatures?" I asked. "Of course!" she declared proudly, "they're my deathless legion of hatred! They won't stop until they've reached their target. I'd be willing to call them off on one condition," she explained. "Oh?" I raised my eyebrow. "And what would that be?" I asked, curious how much she was willing to reveal. She crawled out of the pile and stuck her head through the net. Her stand moved with her climbing outside of the net. It was hard to make out many distinguishing details on her body, as it was covered in so many tiny tri pointed holes that bled illusory blood disappearing before it touched the ground. Her hair was black, and her skin looked fairly young and unwrinkled. Her stand appeared grey and with feminine features. It had what resembled hair flowing from its head and wrapping around its thigh in a hand shape. But notably of all its body was covered in thirteen small holes revealing an empty void within that seemed to stretch endlessly. The stand however appeared unnaturally cracked, as if it had been pieced together with gorilla glue. She leaned her zombie-like head in and began to speak. "I only require Jotaro. One million thoughts raced through my head. I stopped them and began to think. They want Jotaro, but why? I decided I might need to take a gamble. "You don't really want Jotaro," I said with absolute conviction. I was lying through my teeth of course, but all I needed was confidence. She didn't seem like the type to brush off a chance to talk about herself, and she thinks she's invincible. This created the perfect opportunity to ask her a question. It didn't matter whether it was true, her answer would tell me whether they were trying to kill Jotaro on principle or passion, or just after something he is protecting. Her eyebrows, despite being full of holes worked their way across her forehead with surprise. "That's right girl, just give me the arrow, and you'll be able to walk out of this with your father unscathed," she said. I thought back. If I was remembering correctly, the good luck charm mom had given Jotaro had an arrow in it. Could she be after that? Regardless, I couldn't let her have it. I took another step forward into the water. My feet partially sank into the mud with each squelching step. "Give the arrow up girl, and I'll let you go," she said, "I see the bags under your eyes, you can't keep running forever!"

I decided to interrupt her, otherwise, she could keep going forever. "You know my dad's a marine biologist?" I said making some polite banter. "Uhh…" she seemed genuinely taken aback. "I don't see him much but uhh," I grunted pulling my foot out of the mud, "when he is, I learn things. For example, one atmosphere is about 14.6 lbs/in^2 of pressure. The ocean adds one atmosphere of pressure every 10 feet of depth. If I made my net correctly, and trust me, I did. Then it should have an area of 15 feet^2, roughly the size of the average backyard trampoline. This lake is especially known for being the deepest in Florida, with a depth of 90 feet in total. If I were to drop you directly in the center of this lake, you would slowly descend with ever-increasing pressure acting not only on the net but also your head. So let's do a little math. By the time you have reached the bottom of this sinkhole, you will be facing about 130 lbs of the pressure of nine times the atmosphere of the earth. And if your head is still attached by that point, I doubt it would be for much longer."

She was confused by the math, but once I had reached the part about continuous pressure she seemed to understand my point. "Oh, you're going to…" she said softly. I enjoyed prolonging her suffering with some ironic monologuing, but this was the end. "But you'll be fine, you can't die!" I said with renewed energy. "Ora" cried Stone Free lobbing the ball in the air like a volleyball. As it fell, I began my stand rush. "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Stone Free cried serving the ball into the murky depths below. I watched from the shore with satisfaction as not one of the legion reached the surface. I released my net and turned away. Now I needed to get Jotaro to safety and kill the witch. I took out the journal and crossed out the 'stop the legion' point. I was about to put it away before I decided to add a few more points. 'Learn about arrow, who is ladybug?, call Suzie Q'.


	7. I'll be Stone Free Part 3

Stand Name: Stone Free

Stand Ability: The stand can unwind as it sees fit to become rope or wire. The stand's range can be changed by unwinding the stand, however, it will lose destructive power.

Design: A blue studded figure wearing sunglasses with grey metals protruding out of its body on its head, throat, shoulders, arms, hands, and knees.

Destructive power: A

Speed: B

Range: E

Durability: A

Precision: C

Development Potential: A

The Speedwagon foundation had wasted no time in securing a private jet for a one way trip to Florida. Everything was going according to plan. I had explained my plan to the Speedwagon Foundation people loud enough so that I knew where my dad left the arrow. If a traitor was hiding in the group, I would soon know. I looked around the cabin taking inventory of my surroundings. Despite being a private jet, it didn't look very neat. Miscellaneous papers littered the floor Outside the passenger window the engines roared to life. The sound reminded me of the days I would wake up at 2 AM to see my dad off on his flight. It felt weird to be the one on the plane this time. I'd never had good experiences with planes. I went on one when I was little with my dad and great grandfather. I was having lots of fun with it until the plane started to crash. I remember the feeling of helplessness I had felt frozen up, I couldn't even move to save my life. The only reason I was alive was due to their quick thinking.

A short, plump man with a mustache and beard so fluffy they nearly covered his eyes approached me. I had met him once before, and he had scared me. He had come off as the eccentric genius type but I was never positive what he did.

"Hello young lady, I believe we may know each other!" he said. He gave me a toothy smile flashing a gold tooth. "I'm afraid not," I lied. "Oh," his smile disappeared, "Well then let me introduce myself, I'm the head of stand research, Pr. J. K. Polk," he introduced himself. "From what I understand you have the package Jotaro was receiving," he said. "Of course," I said waving the notebook in his face. I've never liked authority figures, so it felt good to hold the cards for once. "Once we arrive in Morioh it's all yours," I said. I noticed the greedy look in his eyes and placed it in front of me. "But until we arrive I want to know everything you know about the mission Jotaro was on," I said. He smiles soured and he sat back. "I'll tell you what I know," he said with hesitation.

"First of all he left on a mission to get the arrow, he needed to save someone he cared about deeply. The arrow was the only way to do it," he said. "Who was he trying to save?" I asked. "I'm not sure, he wouldn't say anything," he said. "A person is chasing me who already has a stand stronger than mine, why would she want the arrow?" I asked. His brow furrowed. I'm not entirely sure as to what it does, but the arrow Jotaro was looking for is different than a normal arrow," he replied. "How?' I asked. "A while ago one of his friends was badly hurt in the mission of protecting arrow, and later stopped contacting him. He hasn't heard from him for years, but the last thing he said before he cut off their connection haunted Jotaro. Do you want to know what it was?" asked the man, leaning in close as if to whisper it in my ear. "What?" I asked pushing him back a bit with my finger. "I was wrong Jotaro, I'm sorry. This arrow is unlike anything we've faced before. It is the catalyst for attaining one's truth. If this were to fall into enemy hands, we'd be dead." he quoted. It was the last part that frightened me.

I slipped a glance over to Jotaro. He was lying on a bed being tended to by a nurse. If he hadn't kept going as long as he did, or if I had fallen asleep at the wheel, we'd be dead. I needed to put an end to the woman chasing me as definitively as possible. I recollected myself and decided to change up my questions. "What are stands?" I tried. "Well, that's complicated. Theqniechally speaking they're a virus that grows stronger based on the infected persons fighting spirit. But if you want an easier answer, they're magic. Only people who are infected can see them, and if they break, you'll die," he explained. I hadn't been paying that much attention to bystanders, but if they can't see them they'll be in a lot of trouble. I called out stone free from behind my seat. "So you can't see my stand?" I asked. He chuckled, throwing me off for a second. "I'd be a pretty bad stand researcher if I couldn't wouldn't I?" he said. I sighed and did my best to hide my embarrassment. "So you have a stand?" I tried. His expression became very serious in half of a second. "Of course," then, just like that, he broke the tension with another smile. "What is it?" I asked. "Nothing that'll be of use if we get attacked, I can assure you," he said. I gave up on that route of questioning.

"What can I expect from Jotaro's colleagues in Morioh?" I asked. Just as I did I heard a scream from behind me. I jumped to my feet and called Stone Free in front of me. She was just in time to raise her arms to block as a brick-like fist threw me against the cabin door. I saw the guard slumped against the bathroom door with a head to be detected amongst the bloody mess above his neck. It was a good thing I had blocked, or my head might end up like him. This was it, my plan was finally coming together. I had lured her here with the promise of the arrow, and Jotaro. Everything I knew she wanted was right here, I just needed to leave my guard open enough for her to feel like she had the advantage. "Stone Free!" I shouted calling the stand forward to punch Carry On. Its punch wasn't as effective as I would have liked, she barely even seemed phased. "ORAORAORAORAORA!" Stone Free shouted laying into the stone monster with an unrelenting barrage of fists. I slowly began to slide back as Stone Free kept on the attack. Carry On raised its fist to attack, but I knew better. "ORAORAORAORA!" Shouted Stone Free turning her attention toward its fist, pushing it out of the way. The assault continued for minutes as I put everything I had into it. I kept an eye on the shadows waiting for her to slip up and show her face, but she never did. It wasn't long before I could continue no more and stepped back exhausted. Carry On, in turn, stepped forward taking back the ground I had lost. I needed to find a better way to fight her. Carry On took another step forward closing the distance between us very quickly. I needed to come up with a plan quickly. I turned to Pr. Polk hoping for any miracle he might be able to provide. He took a long sip of tea staring at me. I couldn't believe him. One of the guards we had been assigned had his head crushed like a watermelon, and the other one was gone. How could he just continue to sit there like everything was fine? "Help me!" I begged. "I'm sorry dear, your on your own here. If I were to use my stand here, I can tell you I'm quite certain everyone here would die," he said. I let out a groan at his excuse and called Stone Free out again. I would just have to deal with her the old fashion way, the way my dad would've done. "Stone Free!" I screamed. The stand rose from my position on the floor into another assault on the monster. I couldn't keep this up forever. This barrage barely lasted a few seconds. If I couldn't get rid of the enemy's stand in the next few seconds I would be done for. They stand silently thrust its fist into Stone Free sending me flying backward. I felt something crack under the force of being tossed like a ragdoll into the wall. Whether it was me or the wall I was uncertain.

I tried standing up but collapsed from the pain. The pain, however, did bring me to a realization. I'm not Jotaro. I'm not built for these stand battles. I can't handle responsibility like him. The first time I had to I decided to fight a Stand I clearly couldn't beat. I needed to stop trying to think like my dad because I'm not. I stood up feeling a second wind. "I'm not sure who you are, but I think its time we were properly introduced. I striped the jacket off dropping it to the floor and gave a confident smile. "I'm Jolyne Kujo, the woman who is going to throw you out of this plane. "Stone Free, one more time!" I shouted. I sharp surge of passion burst forth from within me calling Stone Free out once more. She came out swinging, delivering a swift right hook to her stand's jaw. The woman cringed in pain from within the shadows. Stone Free then delivered a left hook and another right. Her punches felt more powerful than before. Carry On began to indent from the pressure of the punches. "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Stone Free shouted as a new assault began. Left, right, in, and out. Carry On was powerful and strong, but it couldn't keep up with Stone Free. Then just as I promised I intentionally missed a punch opening up the emergency exit behind her. "NOOO!" she screamed as the air pressure carried her out of the exit at an alarming speed. Her hand caught on the rim of the exit as she began to try and pull herself back in. Carry On also wrapped its arm around her, and pulled her in. Just as her face made it in, I finished my attack "ORAORAORA!" Stone Free yelled pushing the enemy outside.

The exit began to suck the contents of the cabin out as well. I extended my arms and legs as I floated toward the exit. Once I hit it, I held on as tight as I could. I felt my grip slipping as my feet were dragged outside. My arms almost slipped as this happened, but luckily I caught them at the last second. "Stone Free," I barely managed to get out. The stand appeared and grabbed onto my hand pulling me back in with one arm, and closing the exit with the other. I collapsed against the wall in exhaustion. I needed some sleep, I couldn't keep thinking of questions to ask, even if that was the smart move. I'm Jolyne, and I think its time I returned to that. I closed my eyes for rest for the first time in over 24 hours. My brain and body wrestled the feeling of relaxation as a wave of sedation swept through my body. I practically passed out against the wall. I'd be in Morioh soon, after all. I needed my rest.


	8. Carry On Part 1

Stand Name: The Hand

Stand Ability: The hand can swipe its palm to erase space in its path.

Design: The stand is white with golden ornaments and blue puffy armor. Its palm has a spiderweb-like pattern on it.

Destructive power: B

Speed: B

Range: D

Durability: C

Precision: C

Development Potential: C

"What do you mean why you're here?" I asked confused. But as my thoughts drifted back to earlier. Her awkwardness around the subject of Jotaro flared back to me, and thoughts began to manifest at one-thousand miles per hour. Does that mean her grimace back then was because Jotaro was hurt? Was she in trouble? I reached in my pocket and pulled out a comb. I hadn't used it like this in a while, but if Jolyne was in danger I needed to be a message. I turned to her and tilted my head upwards striking a confident, and imposing pose as a ran the brush through my hair. With a small breath, I smiled my signature cocky smile that I had worked so hard to make flashed across my face. "So Jolyne," I began with dark confidence, "tell me where the enemy is." She took a step back with a brief look of fear across her face. "I…," she started before snapping herself out of the trance, "She chased me across the world to Japan". Her accent was thick, and her Japenese was difficult to understand, but I made it out. I took two steps toward her, casting my shadow on her. "Just tell me where they are. I don't care where in the world they are hiding. Nor how many enemies I have to defeat to get to them." He started. I summoned Crazy Diamond wiping away some grime from the previous battle meeting her eyes with mine. Those eyes of hers had seen battles. "Anyone who threatens my family," he turned his head to the waking Okuyasu. "Or my friends, won't escape the golden heart of Justice." The sun fell past my eyes as I asserted my truth to Jolyne. She started at me enamored by my speech. "So tell me Jolyne, what is the first step?" I asked.

"I understand," she nodded. "First off I need information, I know my dad had a contact here in Morioh who he trusted deeply," she said. I nodded in understanding. I wracked my brain trying to figure out who that might have been when the thought came to me. "That's probably Koichi," I said waving a finger at them. Okuyasu began to stir from his sleep. "Oooohhh…" he groaned rubbing his head. "Josuke, my head hurts," he said. I smiled happily, I wasn't too late. "That'll happen if your unable to breathe for an extended period of time, although you should by all rights be brain dead for the time you went without air," she said. "I don't think I am," he said opening his eyes to look at us. Jolyne turned to me and looked shocked again. "What are you…," she started. But I couldn't stop them, the tears rolled down my face. "Ugghh she sighed as I ran over to embrace the newly revived Okuyasu. At this point, he was my best friend, I don't know what I would do if I lost him. Our hug left little room for air to escape. We stayed interlocked for a good ten seconds before finally releasing it. "Your all right!" I was practically giddy with joy. I had been able to save him. He looked surprised. "Oi Josuke are you all right?" he asked. "You're crying like a one-month-old infant who hasn't had their diaper changed!" he joked. "Shut up," I said, "you were the first one to go down in the fight." He blushed as the realization came to him. His eyes drifted away from me, then the embarrassment became shame as he hung his head. "I…, I'm sorry Josuke. I guess I was useless to you after all," he said with a solemn tone. "Shut up!" I cried with amusement in my voice. "All that matters is you're okay, besides you couldn't have seen it coming." He finally met my eyes and began to water as well. I raised my arm and gave him a good smack on the shoulder. "Now come one buddy, we've got a stand user to stop. I stood up and turned back to Jolyne. "I owe them a good beating," I said. Okuyasu stood up behind me and gave a confident grin. "Me too!" He stated with his usual earnest enthusiasm.

"It sounds to me like you are looking for my friends Koichi, I'll take you to him. She shook her head. "I'm sorry to ask this, but I need you to get him for me. I've been away too long already," she said. I gave her a confused look. She seemed to understand my confusion as she motioned me to follow with her hand. "Follow me," she said. She turned and began to jog down the street in the way she had originally come. I guess the tour of Morioh was canceled for the time being. "Hey wait for me," I turned and chased after her. "Wha… wait," I heard Okuyasu follow closely behind.

…

I wasn't expecting the penthouse of the hotel, but I suppose Jotaro had also lived here for an extended period so it wasn't too hard to get. Inside the elegantly decorated room were pictures hung on the walls of dolphins and classic seaside art. Striped wallpaper clung tightly to the walls emphasizing the room's size. A single coffee table rested in the center of the room where a short old man sat drinking tea.

"Back so soon madam," he asked. She shivered at his words. "Don't call me that doctor," she pleaded. He chuckled and turned to face us. "One of you is Josuke Higashikata I presume," he asked. "Yo," I said answering his question. He stood up and walked over to me. His size seemed to be about that of Koichi's. I watched cautiously as he stuck a hand in his pocket and began digging around. After that failed he checked his other pocket. The rustling around the pockets was accompanied by misc sounds difficult to place. I gave Jolyne a confused look trying to understand who this guy was. She merely snickered as the man got even closer causing me to lean back against the wall. "Ever heard of personal space gramps," I chuckled trying to push him back. He reached his arm up to my face and pointed at me. "You said you are Josuke Higashikata?" he asked. "Yeah old man," I snickered. He drew a letter from his large pockets. It appeared crumpled and worn as if it had been folded and unfolded many times without regard to its contents. "I hate to play errand boy for the Speedwagon foundation, but it was easier and safer for me to deliver this to you," he said. I plucked the envelope from his hands and turned it around to read it. The top line had been written in English and the bottom in Japenese. It wasn't like I couldn't read English, but it was nice to have options. 'To be delivered to Josuke Higashikata upon the occasion of my hospitalization signed Joseph Joestar'. My confusion turned to anger. I had assumed it would just go after Jotaro and her. I hadn't even considered my father to be one of the targets. I grabbed the short man by his collar and raised him up to meet my eyes directly. "What happened to him?" I asked him feeling anger swelling up. He sighed and placed his hand on the one holding him up. "I assure you young man, the affliction that has bedridden Joseph Joestar is purely natural," he said. I put him down and sighed. The news brought be sadness like I couldn't describe. It was a complicated mixture of anger, and spite, and grief. He was old, I had always known he would die one day, I just hadn't expected the day to arrive. I raised the envelope once more and tore it open. I knew the longer I took to open it, the harder it would be. Inside was a note and a thin slip of paper. I removed the slip first to look at it. The paper was a check. I looked down at him. "It's an inheritance," he explained. "I know that, why do I have it. I told Jotaro that Joseph didn't need to worry about me or my mom," I argued pushing the paper back in his face. "Clearly Joseph didn't feel the same way," he said with cold indifference turning away from me. I was stunned. "That old geezer!" I said through gritted teeth. I crumpled the paper into a ball and shoved it in my pocket. I removed the note and began to read. 'Dear Josuke, if you are reading this th…" I began to read before I was interrupted. "We don't have forever," said Jolyne pushing the note down. "Follow me," she said. I followed her into a bedroom where Jotaro was laying in bed unmoving. "Is that…," I began. "It's Jotaro, she finished. "He was attacked by an enemy. I'm sure he might have been able to win if he hadn't been protecting bystanders and stopping the plane crash from killing him," she said. "Plane crash!" What was that about I wondered? "The point stands. We have no time to waste, I need you to get to Koichi and bring him here," she said. "Meanwhile I, the doctor and your friend Okuyasu will protect Jotaro here in the hotel room," she said. I sighed and pocketed the note for later. If there really was a stand user capable of bringing the dead back to fight for them, we would be in major trouble. "Alright," I said, "I'll be heading out now then." "See you soon Okuyasu," I said and I walked out of the hotel room.

I walked back into the elevator I had come from and pushed the ground floor button. I went down in the elevator and stopped at the ground floor with a ding. As the doors opened I was greeted with the sight of a 3 person cleaning crew all wearing black veils. That odd I thought to myself as I exited the elevator and began to walk away. "Going up," I heard an old female voice say as I began to leave.


	9. Carry On Part 2

Jolyne

Okuyasu stood over Jotaro with a solemn look. He looked him up and down. "I don't seem real, ya know?" he said. "When he was in Morioh a few years, he seemed invincible," he said. I understood what he meant, but I don't know how to respond to that. "Yeah," I said, turning to look at the doctor. I still hadn't seen his stand. If he turned on me I might not be able to stop him. If I could trust what he said on the plane, his stand could be incredibly dangerous. "Oi, Jolyne, I'm gonna try an' fix him," he shouted at me. What! I turned quickly to see a blue and white humanoid stand appear behind him. "I'm gonna fix the holes on him, so he might be able to walk again," he said as stand drew its hand down and angled it to pass over his chest. I panicked and ran to try and stop him, but it was too late. Jotaro lifted a few inches to meet the hand of the stand and quickly fell back down. I reached Jotaro's bedside and looked him up and down to check the damage. The front part of his shirt and the blankets had disappeared. The holes in his flesh had fused back together, however at a gruesome price. The flesh had become bumpy on his stomach lifting up and down like mountains on the horizon. Some bad spots had even become knotted by the stand. "What did you do!" I shouted at him. He seemed to be surprised by my anger. "I… I fixed him," he tried to explain. "You didn't fix him, look at his flesh," I said pointing to the knots and tangles he had created. He started at the knots for a minute. I felt my face turn red as he refused to say anything. Finally, he broke the silence. "He looks fine to me," he said staring at me with innocent eyes. I should have thrown him out of the window right there. My rage was overwhelming. Who knows how much damage he caused to my dad. But instead of anger, I just felt pity. I knew why he tried to fix him. He probably felt about as useless. He probably wanted to do something that might help. He was just trying to do something. I sighed and hung my head leaning back against a wall. "Just… Just stand guard here," I said with sorrow in my voice. "Make sure no one hurts Jotaro, alright?" I said. He nodded in understanding. I just turned and walked away.

I trust Josuke, but Okuyasu didn't seem to have the intelligence for these kinds of fights. It may sound insulting, but I worry about the idiot. It doesn't matter how strong your stand is, in a stand battle it's all how it is utilized and adapted. And from what I've seen he could perform neither with a special grace. He just seemed to be clumsy and dumb. If nothing else he's trustworthy, but he looks gullible. What if an enemy tricked him? How would he get out of it? I needed to stop worrying about someone else's safety, but I couldn't help it. I walked over to speak with the doctor. He gave me a smile that put me on edge. I opened my mouth to say something but just as I did the elevator dinged drawing my immediate attention. Who would be… my thoughts started before the doors slowly opened. Standing there were three people wearing typical maid aprons, and black veils over their faces. Two of them were smaller than the other holding each other's hands and cleaning equipment in their free hands. The taller one was situated behind them with a figure I recognized instantly. Before I could react one ran at me, and shouted, "Comfortably Numb!". A prickly hand covered my eyes causing a jolt to run through my body. "AGGHH," I cried and stepped back. I blinked, but I couldn't see anything. "Where are you!" I shouted."Stone Free!" I shouted drawing my stand from within me. Before I had time to process anything I felt an impact on my stomach and was thrown backward. A similar prickly feeling ran down my back as I felt as I fell to the floor. My stomach felt numb as I ran my hand down it. I nearly spit out my lunch and curled into a ball on the floor. As I lay I felt another blow to my torso, rendering me unable to react as the second one ran past me. I could do nothing to stop her. "The Hand!" I heard a cry from the other room. I strained my neck, turning to look in the direction the sound had come from. Then the breaking of a window and the rush of wind. Suddenly, it was silent again. "Okuyasu?" I shouted, hoping he would respond. He didn't. "Phycho Killer!" I heard a voice cry from the other room. I heard a strange sound that I can only describe as static noise and felt a warm light across my skin. It was almost as if the light was bending around the room. The wish of wind again, and a gasp from Okuyasu. "Okuyasu!" I cried hoping he would respond. "Agghhh!" I let out a scream from deep within my soul. My hatred burned brightly as I stood up. "I'm going to kill you!" I flashed one of Josuke's confident smiles. It helped me keep my balance despite the spinning world. "Stone Free!" I drew out my stand.

Koichi

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out. 'Meet me at the Angelo Stone, we need to talk'. Josuke usually wasn't this serious, I decided it was probably for the best, but I was scared to break off my lunch with Rohan. He could be pretty scary when I needed to cancel on him. I swiped over to my text conversation with Rohan and gave him a text. 'I'm probably going to be pretty late, Josuke has something important he wants to talk with me about'. 'Sorry, we can reschedule later if you want'. I looked around, lucky me! I was only a few minutes walk away from the stone. I changed direction from St Gentlemen's and headed over in the direction of the Angelo stone.

After a few minutes I had arrived, but Rohan hadn't texted me back. That was worrying, he always texted back very quickly, although I suppose he could be just be taking a shower or something. I'm sure he was fine. I gave a long look around to see if Josuke was any closer. As I did I saw something shocking. "Huuuhh?" I recoiled at the sight. Lying on the street corner was a body, completely drained of color. I approached the body cautiously. It was no doubt this was the work of an enemy stand, but I needed to be cautious in case this was a trap. I crouched down and examined it from a few feet away. It was a businesswoman looking sharp. Maybe she had been on her way to work? From what I could tell she had no visible marks to indicate she had been attacked. I slowly stepped a few feet closer, I needed to find out what had caused this. There had to be some kind of wound. As I inched a few feet closer I finally saw something. I leaned in close to her face and confirmed it. The insides of her ears were bleeding. That was all I needed. I stepped away and looked around for something to use. I checked my pocket, but all I had were tissues. "Echoes!" I called out. A small stand came out of my chest and wrapped itself around me. "Washashashasha," I whispered creating the sound of white noise. Echoes punched my ears a few times. In an instant, my ears were filled with many layers of white noises. For good measure, I also ripped the tissue into fourths and balled them up. I stuck them in my ears ready for the upcoming battle. I began to look around and found another body fallen to the ground. I headed towards the next body and looked around again. The stand had left a mountain of bodies in its wake. I swallowed hard and began to follow the breadcrumbs. I sprinted, afraid I wouldn't be able to catch up. The closer I got to the stand, the more I heard. It was filling the town with a booming sound. I could feel the street shaking as a rounded the corner. There it was, unmistakable. An army of black figures. Led by someone I couldn't make out in the user in the front, but I needed to get up there up somehow.

Okuyasu

I had been running for as long as I could remember. Although no matter how hard I tried I couldn't figure out how long that had been. I sat up off the motel room bed, I couldn't even tell how long I had been asleep. The rustic wallpaper was covered with so much dust, it was hard to tell what the pattern was. The room's single desk was also covered in a single desk. However, it had an old fashioned bulky plastic phone on it. I hadn't tested it, but I got the strange feeling it didn't work. The bed had a nightstand and lamp next to it. The lamp worked, but the room's main light didn't work. It gave the room a creepy feeling. The only other light in the room came from outside. "CRACK!" I heard a thunderclap outside as a familiar storm began to rage outside with terrible strength. "Scratch!" I then heard a new sound. I walked over to the window to see what it was. Just then, I heard a familiar voice behind me. "It's just the wind bro, go back to bed." I turned around quickly. My brother was standing there. Except he looked like a kid again. "How are you…" I began. "Go back to bed bro, you don't need to be scared," he said. Before I could say anything I heard the scratch at the window again. I turned to see what it was, but there was nothing there again. I turned back to my bro, but he was gone. "Bro?" I shouted. "Where are you?" No reply. The only sound was the hard rain against the windows. I turned back to the window I was walking towards before. What's goin on? I thought to myself. I heard a knock at the door and turned to see the door handle rattling. I couldn't explain it, but a single thought filled my mind. Run! I felt I needed to run with all my soul. Runaway! Runaway! I began to panic and looked around for an escape. "The Hand!" I drew out my stand and swiped the space of the window. As the wall disappeared, the door began to bang as if someone was trying their hardest to break it down. For now, I just needed to run, I could figure out a plan later.

Koichi

"DUN DA DUN DA DUN!" Trumpets, tuba's, drums, and so many other instruments all acted in harmony around the neighborhood filling it up. Despite my efforts, I couldn't block out the noise. I couldn't stop the noise from seeping through my defenses. I pushed through the organized bodies that made up the stand. They didn't seem to be attacking me. It seemed they didn't need to throw a punch to take out their targets. I probably wouldn't have been able to make it this close to the stand if my stand wasn't sound-based. The problem was I couldn't stop an enemy with act one. If I wanted to change the act, my defense would fall. Even if they were as weak-willed as Tamami, the Lock's user, I couldn't last long against in them. Echoes isn't the best offensive stand. I texted Josuke, so I only had to hold out until he got here. Josuke might not be able to catch up if the stand got too far, so I needed to hold them in place. I just needed to stall them out. I finally reached the front, pushing through the vanguard of the parade. The stand user was leading the march with all the body language of a professional. "Echoes Act Three!" The green stand appeared behind my head. The user didn't hear me, he just kept marching forward. "Freeeze!" I shouted. "All right, S-H-I-T!" It called out and twisted its arms together freezing the user in place. I felt the white noise disappear and suddenly I felt a lot more tired. I slowly walked in front of him. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and khakis with a hospital gown decorated with finger paint covering the gown. He had long hair tied back with a black veil. "Agghh!" He gasped in pain and fell to his knees as I froze him in place. "Release your stand, and I might let you go," I tried to reason. He gave me a look I didn't expect. It wasn't evil, or hateful as I had grown used to seeing in enemy stand users. His look was that of earnest confidence and a drive I couldn't explain. "I won't do that, I won't release my stand," he said with absolute conviction. He raised his head to meet mine.

I sighed, I had guessed it wouldn't work. "Then I'll be a wall, I won't let you move past me!" I said digging my feet into the ground with a confident pose. "You're going to die if you don't move little boy," he said. I examined his eyes, he wasn't lying. "My stand, The Black Parade, doesn't lose," he explained. "Don't you think that's pretty cocky to say your stand can't lose," I asked, "after all, there is a first time for anything". Sweat was dripping down my forehead and my breathing had gotten heavier. He took notice of this and pointed it out. "You've lasted longer than anyone else, but you're already exhibiting the symptoms of being affected by my stand," he said. "You've started feeling very tired, almost like you could fall at any time," he said. I couldn't deny it. My knees felt ready to collapse. My hands were in my pockets so I wasn't wayed down by them. My posture had been visibly drooping for however long I had to hold him still. I even remember how long that had been. A minute, an hour. "My stand slowly steals the souls of those who hear it's song. The words will become more clear the closer you are to disappearing, but no living person can hear it. Once your soul is stolen, it will join The Black Parade. For every soul, The Black Parade collects the larger and louder it becomes increasing its range," he said. "It isn't ego, it was by the strength of my conviction I was granted this stand, and it is by the strength of the conviction I'm going to get the arrow and save my friends." Every word he spoke seemed to draw longer. "I have friends too, I can't lose either," I said. My breathing became rapid as well as I dropped to my knees. He slowly stood up as I went down still unmoving. I looked up at him and The Black Parade. Had his stand gotten smaller? It seemed as if his rank and file had fewer souls in it. He still didn't move a muscle as he looked at me with determination. "Why are you hurting people?" I asked straining my mouth to speak. "I owe a debt I can't repay with money, and I want to save my friends," he said striking a violent pose visualizing his conviction. I began to feel the air leaving my body. I needed to do something. I came here to do something. To meet someone? To… to do something. "Durara!" I heard a stand cry as the user fell to the floor with a heavy thud. With my freeze still affecting him, he probably couldn't even leave the ground. "Crazy Diamond!" someone shouted. Who was it? I looked up and saw a familiar figure silhouetted by the sunlight. It was Josuke. His face was strained as he began to beat the enemy stand user. He looked up at Josuke with an unreadable expression. Then he went down. Josuke fell with a thud and a heavy pant. "I… I'm gonna… When I…," he said. He was unable to finish his thought. "The stand user sat up from the floor and looked and my broken expression. "The Black Parade is loud enough now so that he probably heard it the entire trip here," he said. "What a man, driven by passion and conviction. This man is truly something," he said. He gave me a pitiful glance. "You've lasted a while, but you came here without any plan," he continued. "Those who seek a better future carve their own path, they don't rely on others," he said. "Weren't you just going on about your friends?" I asked confused. "I seek to help my friends, and I'm going to make my own future to get there," he explained and stood up. "You've lost because you aren't confident in your own convictions," he said. He began to walk away as Echoes act three disappeared.

Stand Name: Echoes Act 3

Stand Ability: Three freeze ability can lock a target in place after consecutive punches.

Design: Wears a white jacket over its body and head. Parts are exposed green shells.

Destructive power: A

Speed: C

Range: D

Durability: C

Precision: C

Development Potential: B

Jolyne

I rubbed the blood off my face. I felt a cold wind blowing out of my ear for a second before I felt I was thrown to the ground. This time it hit my ear. I hadn't been able to touch the enemy no matter what I did. I had just ended up swinging my fists around, but unable to find them. I felt another impact and crippled over in pain. I barely had any time to figure out what was going on. I needed to take inventory. "Stone Free!" I coughed out. As I let out the words it dawned on me. I couldn't hear anything from the ear that was just attacked. I reached to feel it. The ear had no sensation. I felt a stream of liquid from it that was probably blood. I shivered, my stand stepped closer as I rubbed my hands together. The stand raised its arms ready to defend me. I needed to attack quickly before I lost every sensation I had. "Stone Free!" I couldn't see it, but I could feel where her fists landed. "Oraoraoraoraora!" It cried throwing a wild barrage in all directions to hit something. Finally, it touched something. A table? I reached out and stood myself up carefully with it. "Steady," I whispered to myself. I felt wind running by my legs and knew immediately what was going on. I crouched, and with all, I could muster jumped in the air. I felt wind rush beneath me and fell once again. Now was my chance. "Stone Free!" "Oraoraora!" It cried throwing punches down where the wind was. Still, it impacted nothing. Damnit! I couldn't find it. I thought it might vulnerable when attacking, but I still can't find it. I fell onto the table crushing it under me.

I cried out in pain as my arm reached down and felt around my torso. I was impaled by large fragments of the table. The area around the wound was also covered in splinters. Some of the doctor's heavy metal pens were even sticking out of me. I gritted my teeth and stood up pulling the fragment out of me. The wind rushed past me again broadcasting where the next place I would be hit would be. "Ora!" I cried throwing the fragment of the table as hard as I could in the direction the wind had come from. No sound. The wind was like someone was beating me with a blunt weapon to death. I felt it knock me to the ground again. "Stone Free," I cried as the fragment was thrown tugged back towards me with an attached piece of Stone Free's string. In a second it was in Stone Free's hand. She tossed it again in the opposite direction. I stood up and gave a grin. Nothing at all. I had lost my sense of touch for most parts of my body, my sight, and my hearing on one side. I couldn't help but grin. Stone Free pulled back the string and grabbed the fragment throwing it another direction. The wind billowed around the room like a raging storm. The more sensation I lost the more I was able to focus on my remaining ear. The wind crushed my hands and feet causing them to bleed numbly. As they disappeared I stopped moving and just focused on the sound of the wind. That's when I heard. There was a crackle! I raised my arm and took a step back. I threw it as hard as I could. I knew the doctor's metal had hit its mark when, after a few seconds, no attack happened. "Nuggh…," a voice grunted with pain near the corner of the room. "Got you," my grin grew wider as I knew I had won. I heard footsteps and the wind at the same time from different parts of the room. I pulled the second pen out of my leg and tossed it at the crackling noise. No voice this time, but no attack either. If they were trying to hide they wouldn't be able. "Stone Free!" I felt a tug on one of the strings Stone Free had hung around the room earlier when I was tossing the wood. "There!" I shouted. "Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!" I heard the body impact the wall. And then again. For the next few minutes, the body bounced between Stone Free's fists and the walls. It wasn't until my sight returned that I let up. The small body of a child slumped against the wall staring at me with hatred in her eyes. Despite her spite, she couldn't do anything to stop me. "Ding!" The elevator made its noise behind me telling me someone had arrived. "Stone Free!" I turned and raised my fists. It didn't matter my shape if there was another enemy, I would have to stop them as well. "That must be Azriel!" The girl behind me croaked with a sinister joy. "You won't be able to stop him, he's got the most powerful stand out of all of us. The doors slowly shifted open. I needed to stop them before they got a chance to attack! "ORA!" I cried with all my strength.

Okuyasu

I had been running, but I never seemed to get tired. The wind blowing through the trees made for an ominous night. The gravel path beneath me seemed to almost trip me up at every stop. I couldn't tell how long it had been since I had been in the motel room. It seemed pretty long, but I couldn't tell. A dark mist swelled around me making the remaining moonlight disappear into the night. I was unable to see anything through the mist, but I knew one thing. I needed to run away. I heard a car horn sound through the fog and a faint light lit up a few feet above me to the left. I couldn't see the path, but if I could make it to the car I could escape. I would be free of this. I paused. Free of what? I knew I had to run, but from what? I couldn't recall anything before the motel room, and even those details were becoming fuzzy. Who was I? Why was I in a motel room. Why was I in a park at night? Wasn't there a storm outside? Had it disappeared? Why couldn't I remember anything? "Go back to bed kid! This isn't your problem!" I heard a violent male voice behind me. I knew that voice, it was so familiar. This whole thing was so familiar. Why was this familiar? That's right I had seen someone in the motel room as well. Before I couldn't even think about it I knew my answer. "I'm going, I need to protect my friends, I need to save Jotaro!" The words felt like the only truth of this whole world. "Where do you think you're going, your gonna get yourself killed!" He spoke with rage in his voice, the rage I was too familiar with. "Please don't," came another familiar voice, "get yourself out of here." Both of them, the two people I had known for most of my life, were telling me to run. I felt from the core that I needed to run. "See ya later dad, brother," I said stepping away. All the while I hadn't turned, I just walked toward the light. My instincts screamed to run away from it, but I refused. A figure was waiting by the car. I couldn't make it out through the blinding fog. As I approached it, I remembered. This was the enemy stand. I was stabbed, and then. I was falling! I needed to escape, or I might die. "Let me out!" I said. The hand appeared behind my raising its palm in the air ready to attack at the first movement. Suddenly I saw it. It had four faces attached to the central cubic head. Each head was whispering something unintelligible. Its body was a series of shifting metals and flesh fused. It had hands holding a knife. It thrust its knife at me. The closer it got, the more I felt as If I needed to run away from it. Behind it, however, was a familiar person. I knew him well. He was why I was working so hard. "I'm gonna give him everything I've got. The scene transformed into a familiar setting. The mist cleared away as the hand brought its palm. The stand was destroyed as well breaking it a mess of bloody chunks. The car disappeared, so did the park and the night. Before me was the road Josuke and I had walked one thousand times before. Koichi was absent from school that day so it was just me and him. "I'm sorry I took you away from your brother," he said with sorrow in his voice. "You probably couldn't ask for a better place than by your brother's side, huh?" he continued. "Josuke…" I had said curiously. I couldn't hear my side of the conversation but I remembered it as clear as day. "When we were fighting Kira I mean, I'm sorry, I just wanted to save you," he said, "I didn't give any thought to what you might want and acted rashly so I'm sorry." He was bowed, apologizing to me. "I'm glad you brought me back Josuke," I had said, "I want to be with you." "What are you talking about, I thought you wanted to be with your brother?" he said confused. "I want to be with you Josuke, you're my friend." I clasped his hand tightly in a brotherly pose. He looked up and nodded. "Okuyasu, I'm going to make sure you never regret those words," he said giving me one of the most serious looks I had seen from him, "because there is no place I would rather be in the world than with you." I nodded and stepped through the ghost. I was Okuyasu, I am friends with Josuke, and Josuke asked me to protect Jotaro. I may not be smart but I can be sure of this. I took my step forward and opened my eyes. "The Hand!" I said as the palm of my stand pulled me up from my momentary impact of the concrete. It only bought me a few seconds, but its all I needed. "Tha Hand!" I called out again. Its left hand stood me straight up, and the right dragged me to my position on the ground painlessly. I looked down at my knife wound and turned up to the broken window of the hotel room.

Koichi

"Not so fast!" came an angry voice behind me. "You think you can bail on me to fight a stand user. I used my remaining strength to turn and see Rohan standing there with a disapproving stance. The moment you canceled I checked your location on my tracker. He pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up triumphantly. I was grappling with a mixed feeling of horror and relief. Despite his confidence, his face was filled with sleep. Lines had formed under his eyes. "And who are you said Rohan with the cocky anger he was so good and displaying in battle. "Uhhh," he stammered for a second, "Azre…" he began to say. "I'm not dumb, you're not named after the biblical angel of death!" He said with anger. "Ohhh," he stammered for a second shocked at his man's appearance. "Kiremeno Naihiro," he said with hesitance. "Wait how are you still standing?" he asked, "You should have collapsed by now." He began to confidently step towards me. Just as he made it to me, he tripped and fell to the ground. His face was so close that I could hear his heavy breathing. Kiremeno was wrong, he had made it here on sheer willpower. He looked at me. "Heaven Door!" He shouted drawing in the air with one of his pens. The ink left behind by the pen formed into the lines that made up his stand. It took form and flew into me. I felt my body go limp as he picked up his pen again. He wrote inside my forehead and closed it. His head fell to the floor as I felt my energy returning to my body. I stood up and looked up at Kiremeno. I looked around. The enemy's stand was still active, but I could no longer hear it. I looked at him with full energy restored. "ORA!" I shouted punching him. "Echoes Act three!" "S-H-I-T!" called the stand freezing him on the floor. I leaned down and lifted the exhausted Rohan over my shoulder. "I've stopped him from being able to escape, I need you to finish him off now," I said. He grumbled and lifted his eyes open barely. He lifted his arm with great trouble. "Heav-enns-door!" He shouted. He seemed so tired, but the determination shone through in his voice. He marked the air up with his pen and summoned his stand again throwing it at Kiremeno. His face broke open. I lowered Rohan on my back close to the enemy so he could write in him. He wrote in him. 'I cannot use my stand, The Black Parade' he wrote. His eyes bulged as the stand disappeared. He slammed his fist into the ground and raised himself up. "I won't give up, I'll keep fighting for my beliefs, and I'll carry on until I've achieved my goals," he said. Despite his big words, his face painted a picture of a broken child. He would no longer be able to use his stand. I felt sorry for him for a second before I looked up at those collapsed on the street due to his lack of control. His face began to strain and sweat. I looked around at the collapsed people, at Josuke who had collapsed before doing anything, and at Rohan who was slowly tightening his grip on my back. I had won, and I had a feeling that this stand user was part of that conversation Josuke wanted to have.

Jolyne

I ran and tossed my fist to try and stop the enemy. I stopped as I saw who it was. They ran out of the elevator and screamed. "The Hand!" "VWOOP" Space was swiped away and pulled something across the room. I turned to see the one who had attacked him with hands digging around the empty air. She continued digging in the air for a second before looking around. "Wha…," she began. She turned to see Okuyasu standing there with a sinister grin. The kid couldn't hide their evil grin behind the veil. "You can't hit a…," he wasn't given the chance to finish the thought. He reached his hands back. "ORA!" He shouted punching the stand user knocking them to the floor. Okuyasu had a hole in his chest as if he had been stabbed, but he stood as straight as if nothing had happened. His gaze drifted from the unconscious body on the floor to the stand user I had just fought beside them. She had her arms wrapped around the child. "Ughh," the child Okuyasu just punched in the face stirred and bolted upright. "What did I…," they began before following our gaze to the woman. It was the woman who had attacked me thrice already excluding this time. "Wait, Angela, what are you…," the child started to ask. He was quickly cut off by her. "I'm sorry Achille. In order to win I need my followers in working condition, and to do that they're going to need a new body," she said summoning Carry On behind her. "Stop!" screamed Achille, "You can't kill her!" The hand-raised its palm in the air. He gave them a smirk. "Gotcha!" The Hand dropped its palm pulling the enemy over to him. Carry On lowered in a fist as quickly as possible, but was unable to touch the child further before being pulled over to Okuyasu. "Nooooo!" She screamed in agony as she was slowly dragged across the floor to him. It was almost as if a black hole was dragging her into the event horizon. She kicked and screamed clawing at the floor leaving a trail. "Carry on!" She screamed. The stand grabbed the ankle of the now unconscious child. I heard the bones crush in its palm as it lifted the child overhead, and tossed them into Okuyasu's face. "Wha?" He was momentarily confused as the child's body slapped him in the face. "You fool!" The enemy screeched. "You have fallen for my distraction, you stand no chance of catching me now!" The enemy guided for the first few feet by Okuyasu's stand dashed to the exit at a surprising speed. "Stop her!" I shouted, hoping it might help. The enemy escaped out the door. I should have felt frustrated and angry. I should have run after her. But I felt confident. For the first time, she had run from me. I had taken out two of her stand users without killing them. Once Koichi arrived we would likely be safe for a while, while she regrouped.

I pinched a piece of my arm and began to unwrap it slowly. Until I had a roll of it around my finger. I motioned Okuyasu over. He looked at me with confusion as I held up the string. "Let me get that for you," I said. I walked over to him. I gave a glance over to the child spread across the floor holding the hand of their beaten friend. The enemies were children. I wondered how they had gotten stands, why were they fighting. "Let me get that for you," I said unwrapping some more string. They gave me an unreadable stare from beyond their black veil. "Sorry about your friend," I said giving a fake laugh. I was hoping she wouldn't point out it was me who did that. "I'm taking her to a hospital," said Achille as he removed his veil. His face was bruised and scared. Dirt and splinters clung to it like he had been forced to sleep in a junkyard. He rubbed a bit of snot from his nose as tears dripped down his face. "I can't believe she betrayed," he said in a frustrated tone. His voice contained emotion a child shouldn't have to feel so young in life. He removed his friend's veil and threw it on the floor with his. His friend was a girl that looked incredibly similar to him, aside from being a centimeter smaller and having white hair in place of his black. It was offputting how similar they looked, down to the structure of their noses and minute details about their eyebrows. "Want me to drive you?" I asked. He shot me a dirty look. "No, I need to make a stop first," he said. He pressed the button and the elevator opened with a ding. "I'm sorry about all this trouble," he said quietly as the elevator doors closed behind him.


	10. The Tour of Morioh Part 1

Ian

The church had been noisy today. Most of the morning had been spent fixing up Persephone after her heavy fall from a plane. Even if she had grabbed a parachute in time, she had drawn it too late. She had broken several bones, most of us had spent the morning arguing she shouldn't go alone. She had ultimately gone only because she promised that she would stay out of the fight. I wish I could have gone and helped, but I don't exactly have a stand to help them with. To be more accurate I had one, but I hadn't been able to summon it. I turned to John, the only stand user who had stayed behind. "Do you think they're all right?" I asked with obvious worry in my voice. The man turned to me and grinned through his ridiculous curly spaghetti hair. "They'll be fine," he said with a joking tone. "Your stands so strong, why didn't you try and help them, or at least lie to me?" I asked a bit frustrated at him. "If I used my stand every possible time I had something to gain I wouldn't be able to separate fact from fiction," he said. "You're kiddi…" I began, but he cut me off. "Don't put so much stock in others well being. You're fine right?" He said tapping me on the chest. "Well yeah, b…," I got out enough to answer his question before he cut me off again. "You and I are all that matter right Ian?" He flashed me a smile as a nearly translucent stand appeared behind him. The air began to twist around him. "Stop it!" I shouted. "Don't do it!" I said, making up my mind. "It's too dangerous His grin remained as the stand disappeared. "If you insist kid," he said. He leaned back as the church doors opened.

The light illuminated the room through an ancient craked ceiling. The floorboards and walls were rotting as the boss hobbled through the doors to the outside. The sun was setting behind her as she entered. "Where is Azriel?" She asked with heavy breathes. "He didn't meet up with you at the hotel?" I asked. "AGGRRH!" She screamed, frustrated. She ripped off her veil and threw it on the ground. "He was our strongest piece," she said looking up. Her usually passionate, and agelessly beautiful face was filled with lines. She had been up for nearly three days trying to push to get that arrow. "Ian, come here," she said. I walked over to her. Her eyes were baggy and seemed to have trouble focusing on where I was. She leaned down to meet my eyes. "Carry On!" she said as the bulky stand placed its hands on either side of my head as if to crush me. I maintained eye contact as she started into me, searching. After a few seconds had passed she seemed frustrated. After a minute she turned away. "He isn't dead, he's probably just lost or something," she said with a short and worried laugh. "Where are the twins?" I asked. "They left," she said without a moment of hesitation. We lost the twins, Azriel's nowhere to be found, and the only user we have left to attack them with is John. I turned to look at John hoping he might be willing to help. He ignored me. I began to say something, but he turned to stop me. "Not gonna happen, kid, it would be a really bad time for me to attack," he said. I looked down at the floor. Why am I so useless I thought to myself. I was going to avenge my friends. I stood up and made my way out of the abandoned church. "Where are you going?" Persephone, the boss, asked. "I'm going for a walk," I lied, refusing to face her. "I can't stop you, but please don't die. If you didn't come back I don't think I'd have anyone left," she said. "Of course," I felt my face soften as I said it.

Stand Name: Psycho Killer

Stand Ability: When the target is attacked by the stand's blade arm they become locked in a mental prison in which they must face their anxieties before they are able to escape. Time is slowed within the prison.

Design: A barely visible shadow through which human adjacent face is visible but very clearly alien if focused on. Its arm protrudes a short blade used to stab opponents. It wears a scratchy coat held tight to its humanoid form.

Destructive power: B

Speed: B

Range: C

Durability: B

Precision: B

Development Potential: D

Josuke

Jolyne collapsed on the couch taking a long, and deep breath. "Would you mind if I asked you some question little boy?" The doctor had been clinging to Koichi since I had brought him here. "That's fine, but can you back up a little?" Koichi had gotten tired of the man invading his personal space. "Is this gum?" The old man asked pulling an unopened stick of gum out of the boy's pocket. "Hey! Leave that alone, it's mine!" Koichi said, snatching the gum away from the grabby man. If I wasn't careful he might be invading my personal space too. "Hey Koichi, call me when you're done with this fool so you and I can grab some food," said Rohan. He pressed the elevator button. Oh no! I began to freak out. If he left in that elevator, I would be stuck on this floor with the doctor. I needed to act fast, but Rohan hated me. How could I trick him into letting me into the elevator? Of course I couldn't just ask him, otherwise, he would laugh in my face. I looked around for some way to get in. There had to be something I could break, someway to sneak into it. That when I saw it. There was a vase cracked on the floor. If I could throw the vase at the wall past him breaking it, it would braw his line of sight away from me. Then I could quickly preform a stand rush on the wall while he wasn't looking breaking it open and sneaking onto the side of the elevator. From there, I could crack the elevator open and close the doors from inside without him noticing. I began to grin. It was all coming together. "Oi Rohan, can I ride down aswell?" A newly healed Okuyasu asked Rohan. That poor idiot I thought to myself. Rohan will never say yes to that, in fact, he'll probably punish him for asking. Rohan values having his own space, there is no way he let him in an elevator with him willingly. Okuyasu could be in trouble. Rohan turned his head to look at Okuyasu. I needed to save him from Rohan's attack quickly. I looked around again, did I dare use the vase? If I did I would be stuck here, but Okuyasu would be safe. My face darkened as I made my choice. I had to save my friend. I picked up the vase and drew it behind my head. "Okuyasu!" I shouted. Rohan without turning his face away from Okuyasu replied to him. "Sure." I lowered the vase and suddenly realized how ridiculous that idea was. Rohan was just a guy, a strange one, but one all the same. The idea that he would attack Okuyasu was ridiculous. I took a breath and put the vase back on the ground where I had found it. I began to walk over to the elevator hoping to catch a ride down. As I did I saw Rohan press a button and step behind Okuyasu. His eyes locked onto mine, unblinking. What was he doing? I began to reach my hand out. "Wait for…," I said. But the elevator began to close. I took a deep step back as I realized what was going on. He had pressed the button to close the doors! "Rohan Kishibe!" I shouted reaching my hand out to try and stop the doors. His blank expression went from zero to on-hundred. "Josuke, you fool! You have fallen for my trap. I knew you were going to try and steal the elevator from me, so I planned circles around your plan!" He shouted with great passion. He grabbed Okuyasu and screamed. "Heaven's Door!" Okuyasu's face opened up like a book as Rohan held a pencil over him. "I have a hostage now you see, so you can no longer stop me!" shouted Rohan. "Nooo!" I yelled. I needed to get Okuyasu away from him somehow. "Crazy Diamond!" The stand came from within me and stuck its fingers between the doors. "Its too late Josuke! You can't stop me now! The elevator down is mine!" he shouted. Then he laughed maniacally for extra effect. I heard a muffled voice from inside as the elevator as it sank. "You're a pretty weird guy Rohan," said Okuyasu faintly. Damn him! I'll get him back next time I see him. I turned around and threw myself on the sofa next to Jolyne.

"So, how bout we bounce before the doctor starts to question us?" I asked her. In the background, I heard Koichi running in circles around the table. "No, I don't want your pocket candy!" He cried. She met my eyes. "I can't leave Jotaro unguarded," she said. "You need to learn how to relax. We just beat all the enemy stand users. Coming back, even if they had more people, would be a bad idea for them," I explained to her. "Besides we still have the doctor and Koichi here to call us if anything goes wrong," I said. "But what if they come back," she said. "Weren't you listening?" I said. I tapped my ear and continued. "They won't come back. You need to learn to have fun," I said. I stood up and grabbed her hand helping her up from the couches gluttonous cushions. "I'm going to take you for that tour of Morioh I promised, we'll hit up all the sights," I said. I walked over to the elevator. "Are you kids leaving?" The doctor asked with a sinister glint in his eye. "Yes sir," I said standing in front of the elevator button pressing it repeatedly. "Come on Jolyne," I said nudging to the elevator. "That's a shame, I was hoping you might be able to tell me everything you know about Jotaro's mission," he said drawing closer. The elevator opened with a ding behind me. As the man approached a thousand spider-legged robotic stand manifested behind him crawling towards me. The room was filled with intense heat as he chuckled singing the carpet around him instantly. "Jolyne gets in, elevator," I called to her. She gave me a firm nod and jumped in past me. I took a step backward and summoned my stand. "Crazy Diamond!" I shouted. The stand grasped both doors and slammed them shut. This time I was the one closing the doors, and I wouldn't let him in. The elevator sunk slowly until we reached the first floor.


	11. The Tour of Morioh Part 2

Josuke

I took a large sip of the juice I had ordered. I had wanted to grab some alcohol, but Jolyne was technically too young to drink and I felt drinking might somehow lead to a fight. Jolyne sat facing away from me taking a long drink of water from a straw. Slurp. She had reached the end but didn't seem to have noticed. "Do you want another drink?" I asked. She didn't seem to hear me. "Jolyne," I tried again. "Huh," she said turning to me. "Did you want another drink," I said pointing to her cup of ice cubes. "Sure," she said. She seemed distracted by something. "Sorry, I guess I'm bad at giving tours," I said turning to my drink. "No the tour was fine, I'm just worried about Jotaro," she said poking at the ice with her straw. "He'll be fine," I said, "you should stop worrying so much." She got a frustrated look on her face. "Yeah," she said avoiding eye contact. I raised my hand to flag down a waiter. He walked over. He looked strange. His hair was scruffy and unwashed, and his clothes looked like they had been put on in a rush. Still, it wasn't my job to judge other people, how they lived their life was up to them. I turned to Jolyne. She looked at the waiter for a minute and sighed. "Just give me another water please," she said. "Of course ma'am," the waiter said and walked to the kitchen. "I'm serious you know, don't let his condition get you down," I said to her. I understood how she felt. She probably thought that Jotaro was injured because she wasn't good enough. "Don't blame yourself for what is out of your control," I told her. "Yeah I know," she said with anger in her voice. "You're too uptight, you need to relax a bit," I said. Her eyebrows sunk even further down as I said that. "Like this," I said putting a grin on my face. "Here you go miss," the waiter had arrived with water in hand. I could swear I saw a grin on his face for a moment as he tripped. The water spilled all over her soaking her from head to toe. Her anger finally reached its tipping point.

Jolyne stood up from the table and stomped on the ground. "What are you doing," she said screaming at him. She grabbed him by the collar. "Look what you did," she pointed to her clothes. "I'm sorry," the man said with a voice full of smarm and grease. "You think this is funny," she continued. His ever-growing grin meant the answer to her question was probably yes. "Let me go get you a rag to wipe yourself down. A woman stared from a few feet away. She probably wanted to intervene but was scared of Jolyne. I stood up. I had gotten used to situations like this when dining. Koichi was nice but pretty much every other stand user in Morioh would start a fight over the smallest thing. I placed my hand on Jolyne's arm. "I apologize for my friend, she's under a lot of pressure right now," I said moving her arm off of the poor waiter. "Oh now you want to do something," she said turning her anger on me. "What are you talking about Jolyne," I said. "Why did you insist we waste the whole day on a pointless tour when we could have been doing something useful," she said through gritted teeth. Her clenched fists cracked, and a stand began to appear. We had now attracted the attention of the whole restaurant. Every eye was watching me see what we would do. "You Americans are so loud," I said. "Let's finish this conversation outside," I said pulling out my wallet. I removed a fairly large sum of money and handed it to him. "This should cover the meal," I said and turned for the door. Jolyne gave the man a dirty look as she followed me.

The outside air was cool. I'm sure if Jolyne wasn't so heated with anger she'd be freezing right now. "Take a deep breath," I said. "Shut up," she said. She drew her stand to punch me. "Crazy Diamond," I said. My stand caught her punch with both hands but was pushed back by its strength. "You've got a pretty powerful stand," I said. Crazy Diamond stomped, digging its feet into the concrete. Her gaze was filled with anger. A mischievous grin grew across my face as I got an idea. I exaggeratedly pulled a fist back. I threw a fist at her as if to hit her. Her stand assumed a defensive stance. My fist, however, stopped short. My palm opened up as I threw dust onto her wet body making her a little muddy. She wiped the thin layer of mud off of her torso with a free hand. She growled at me frustrated. "Take this seriously," she said. Stone Free threw another punch. "I realize you think your responsible for your dad's injuries but it wasn't your fault," I said opening my arms up for an attack. "Shut up, I know it's not my fault," she said punching me to the ground. It hurt, but I wiped myself down standing up again. "I think I know what your feeling," I said. "Long ago I met my father for the first time in my life. Sons are supposed to learn responsibility from their parents but mine never taught me anything. Suddenly this old geezer shows up and puts his life on the line for those he had never met. Suddenly I had an example of what responsibility looks like. It is not a death pact devotion to an idea or a cause. Responsibility is taking care to maintain what is yours as well as what isn't," I said. "Ever since Jotaro was injured I've had to take care of him and what he left behind. His jobs are my responsibility," she said. "They aren't yours alone though," I said reaching out my hand. "Let me help you." She started at my hand for a bit. "Tell you what," I said, "why don't you pick any object here to beat up. I gestured around me to the trash cans and ally ways. For the first time all night, she smiled at me. "That sounds therapeutic actually. She took a deep breath in and Stone Free raised its fist. "OR…," before the first punch could finish being thrown at the wall a figure stepped from around the corner. "I've got you now…," he was cut off by a fist to the face. "ORA!" And then another. It kept going as his body twisted with each punch.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" His body bounced back and forth between the wall like a bumper car being ganged upon. After the straight minute of being pounded finished, he finally slumped against the wall. "His blood had gotten everywhere. "Boy, you did a number on him," I said. I leaned down to see the damage. I summoned Crazy Diamond and began to heal him. As his face became less broken I began to recognize it. It was the waiter from inside the restaurant. What was he doing out here? "Gonna, gonna get…," he murmured to himself as if in the middle of a dream. As the blood began to clear I noticed a gun sitting in his lap. Better get rid of this, these things can be dangerous I thought to myself. I lifted the gun and chucked it in the trash. "I think its time you and I get back, but if you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask," I told her. She nodded with a big grin across her face. She was beaming ear to ear. "Of course," she said.

Stand Name: Comfortably Numb

Stand Ability: The stand can shock a target with a small static shock. However, these static shocks will remove a target's senses once targeted properly making it very difficult to fight back.

Design: The stand is an invisible mass of electric wind which can be very difficult to hit but makes it difficult to defend its user.

Destructive power: C

Speed: A

Range: C

Durability: N/A

Precision: B

Development Potential: B

Koichi

The doctor kept me for longer than I thought, but I'd be home soon. I needed all the rest I could for my date with Yukako tomorrow. She can be a real handful sometimes. I had tried bringing Josuke with us once but she just ended u starting fights to make him look bad. I rubbed my eyes as I stepped out of the elevator onto the first floor. As I stepped out a woman maid wearing a black veil stepped in. That is a weird coincidence I thought to myself, but probably just a slightly off person. I shouldn't assume things. Besides nothing bad will happen as long as I remember to tell Josuke about it when I see him again.


	12. Rohan's Parade

Rohan

I checked my phone again. Koichi still hadn't gotten out of his meeting with the doctor. I sighed and changed the song. Recently I was so bored with Morioh. No new people have shown up until recently. No new enemies until just now. I didn't even get a chance to ask them about how they got here. I scanned the shelf for some food. I didn't see anything special so I ended up grabbing the usual. I groaned as I placed the food on the counter. "Just this?" Asked the cashier suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. I felt myself getting angry. "Just checking you don't have anything else you aren't showing me," said the man casually. He was trying to check I wasn't shoplifting, but he was too scared to ask me directly. So annoying, have a little confidence once in a while. He finished scanning the items. "Whatever just give me the food," I said. I snatched them away from him and walked to the door. Maybe I was just taking out my frustrations on him. I hadn't hung out with Koichi in a while, and the stand user I fought before ran away before I could ask them any questions.

I walked through the automatic doors of the convenience store. It was a chilly morning and I had a lot of deadlines to meet. I had been putting them off because I had thought I might have a chance to meet the enemy stand user. I turned and began making my way towards my house. I suppose I should just give up and make the chapter. In a flash, I felt a knife pushed against my throat. A figure wearing a dark grey hoodie with dark green moldy lines running all over it had me at knifepoint. "What do you want kid, I've got a manga to write," I said. This seemed to anger him because he pushed the knife deeper in response. "Give me my stand back," he said. "Wait! A stand!" I said. "Give you your stand back you said!" I said growing excited. "This means your him then," I said. "You're the enemy stand user I fought," I said. He was silent. "You're the enemy stand user I fought the other aren't you?" I said. "Give me my stand back," he said. "I can't believe my luck!" I was practically laughing. "Stop it," he said. He must have not liked my tone or something. "Of course I'll give it back I said, you just have to let me get rid of what I wrote before. The knife loosened around my neck. "How do I know you won't make it worse?" He asked hopefully. "You can't get your stand back if you don't let me go," I said. He took the knife away. "Alright, but if you make it worse I'll go after the people you love," he said. I gave him a confident smirk. This kid wouldn't be able to go after anyone else in his condition. He looks like he hasn't eaten since our fight. "Heaven's Door," I said summoning my stand from the ink of my pen. A gold and white miniature stand flew at him breaking his face open. I approached him, and with the pen still in hand leaned down to write. 'I cannot bring harm to anyone in any way,' I wrote. I closed his face up as he began to stir. "Did it work?" He asked faintly. "Go ahead and try to threaten anyone ever again and see how far it gets you," I said with confidence. I stood up and leaned against the wall. He held up his knife and began to run towards me. At the last minute, his foot pivoted avoiding him contacting me or himself slamming against the wall. I guess my rule also applied to self-harm as well.

"What did you write?" He was frightened as he dropped the knife away from him. "I made it so you couldn't hurt anyone anymore. I'll remove the restriction on your stand if you manage to do what I ask, however, I will never remove the second restriction," I explained. He stared at me angrily and began to punch the ground but was stopped before his fists touched the concrete. He was clearly frustrated. "Look at you, an idiot without the ability to do anything," I teased. He turned to stare at me with eyes full of rage. "You're going to do exactly what I say if you want your stand back," I said. I made a confident pose one hand on my hip and the other in my pocket.

"I would never…," he began to speak. I interrupted him. "We should probably start by getting you some nicer clothes than this dirty mess. I removed his hoodie. "Who do you think is buying your edgy act kid," I said. He began to blush a bit. "It's not an act I was using to hide from you," he began to protest. I was ignoring him. I grabbed his hand and began to lead him to a clothes store. I had found a good way to stall my deadline a bit. I pulled out my phone and texted a contact for some help.

"Why are we here?" asked Kiremeno. I gave them a grin ready to display my brilliance. I pointed at Kiremeno. "You need a bath," I said. I shifted my finger from him to the public pool. He looked down at himself and at his raggy clothing. "You can just take what you want to but you need to bathe quickly," I said. He gave me a gapping expression as if to convey how weird this was. After I ignored him he seemed to get over it and removed some extra clothing. I looked away confident he wouldn't run. If he ever wanted his stand he would do what I wanted him too. The power practically made me giddy. I could make him serve me tea while I drew manga if I wanted. I heard a splash behind me as he jumped in the pool. I turned the see him scratching at his hair and rubbing all the sweat that had built upon him. I got a text and pulled out my phone. 'Got it, meet you there soon'. A few minutes later he climbed out of the pool dripping wet. He grabbed his clothes but I shook my head. He seemed fed up with my orders already. I pointed to the shower. "You need to wash that chlorine off your body," I said. He sighed and went to wash himself off.

At the clothing store, I began to throw clothes at him. "You need to be a little more confident in what you wear if you want people to be impressed." He carried a mountain of clothes from almost every shelf in the store into the changing room. Before he could, a saleswoman stopped him. "Excuse me, sir isn't that a little excessive." I turned to her and gave her an aggressive eyebrow. She seemed uncomfortable but stuck to her convictions. I was impressed with her confidence. "Its alright ma'am I'll return these to the shelves they came from myself. She seemed frustrated but decided to leave for now. After a few minutes, he came out wearing another hood. I shook my head at him and pointed back at the room. He threw his shoulders and walked back into the room. After a few more minutes he walked back out dressed with bandannas all over him covering his arms, legs, and every open part of his body. I shook my head and he walked back in. "Hey Rohan," came a voice from behind me. Another kid older than the one I decided to spend my day on waved from across the store. He finally arrived. I wasn't too good with kids so I called in someone to help. The teen with a hole in his hand walked up. "This is him?" asked Ken. He pointed to the kid as he walked out of the changing room again. He was wearing a gold and black marching uniform. "That'll do for now," I said. I turned to Ken. "Watch him for me rock-paper-scissors kid," I said, "I need to put the rest of these clothes for him."

At the cafe, we had all sat down and were quietly sipping down smoothies. Kiremeno had ordered a lot more than I had expected. Two burgers, multiple servings of fries, a smoothie, and a large glass of water without ice. I sighed as I dreaded the expences the kid was costing me. After another awkward minute of silence, I was done. I slammed my hand on the table and gave him an intense stare. "Time to earn your stand back," I said. "Tell me why your fighting against Koichi and the others," I said. Kiremeno tried to sum me up as I waited. He finished the fries he was chewing and took a quick sip of his smoothie. Then he took a sip of water. "I grew up to a religious family in Japan," he said beginning his story.

Stand Name: Heaven's Door

Stand Ability: Can open up people like a book and control them by writing in them.

Design: A small man in white clothing with gold accents. It looks like the popular manga character Pink Dark Boy.

Destructive power: D

Speed: B

Range: B

Durability: B

Precision: C

Development Potential: A

Kiremeno

I always looked up Persephone growing up. I'd stop by the church every day after school. At first, it was just to make my friend happy. She was her daughter and wanted me to stop by and hang out at her house. When she was 13 she was given a stand. The girl started to break down under pressure from pressure. She made a mental prison for herself and eventually ran away. She couldn't handle her mother. I don't know what happened to her but it changed Persephone. She'd spend every moment she could with me. She picked me up from school, she helped me with homework, and when my parents died she was the first to take me in. I didn't know when she became my godmother but my parents had signed off on it sometime. She seemed so happy but she always seemed upset underneath. Eventually, I worked up the guts to ask her what was going on. That's when she told me she had a dream. A dream that everyone in the world would be able to live without pain. She also told me how she planned to achieve this dream. There was an arrow that would let her save the world if she could take it back from evil. She showed me her arrow. She told me that I could help her with a single prick. I that moment I thought of the anger I felt towards everyone for everything. But here's what I'll never forget. She told me she wasn't going to give me a stand and asked why I wanted one. I told her I wanted to help her she told me to know. You have to want a stand for yourself. I spent months asking her every day to touch the arrow. She spent months talking through things with me. She built up my confidence and just had fun with me. Before I knew it I had graduated middle school. Finally, the day came and she handed me the arrow asking if I still wanted it. I told her yes, for myself. I pierced myself and got my stand Black Parade. I knew I was going to save those damned by the world with my stand. All I had to do was help her. Finally, the time came for me to make a choice. She was attacked by an enemy stand user with a sword who had managed to get half of the arrow, however, she still had the part that mattered. She gave me the choice to come with her. So I did. I ran away from home and followed her across the world as she collected a few more followers. We spent a long time running away from the swordsman. He chased us for a while but we lost him after about a month in the late 90s. I followed her to Italy where she went to try and find her daughter. But once we got there we found she was killed by her own stand ability. Amazingly she had also gone after the requiem arrow. Persephone used Carry On to bring her daughter back to life in another body. She told us about how Jotaro had the arrow and chased after him, however, I never saw her again.

In total in the group of her followers, there is me. Obviously Persephone, our leader. The twins, who aren't actually related but act as if they are. John, the most dangerous of us, but also the laziest. And Ian, who doesn't really have any powers but he could depending on how John feels. There stand are Carry On, Psycho Killer, Comfortably Numb, The Black Parade, and You're on Fire. Although I can't say anymore.

Rohan

"What were you going on about friends for then back there?" I asked. He seemed surprised. "Well I'm fighting to give a better world to my friends," he said. I sighed. "It was alright, but I needed something really amazing to give back your stand," I said. He seemed surprised and concerned. I stared him for a bit longer. "So you don't have anything better?" I checked. He shook his head. "Too bad," I said taking a sip from my smoothie. I began to get up but he stopped me. "What if I told you their powers?" He tried. "I'm not really interested in fighting for the sake of it," I said continuing to walk away. "Hold on," he said stopping me again. "You're starting to get annoying," I said, "if your not careful I might remove another ability of yours." He seemed desperate. "You sound like John," he said. "Who is John," I asked hoping he might have one more story in there. "Honestly I'm not sure, I've had my memories of how I feel about him disappear more than once while talking to him," he said. "I think at some point I knew his stand power, but now I just know to be scared of it," he continued, "I'm not even sure why he follows us around, because he doesn't do anything to help us." "When we were attacking the hotel he decided to not go because he felt like it," he said. "His name sounds American and he's always writing letters to someone but I couldn't tell you who," he said, "pretty much the only thing I know about him is the fear I feel whenever I'm around him." "Well it's not good, but it's certainly something I can work with," I said. "Heaven's Door," gold and white stand appeared out of the ink of my pen and flew into him opening his face. I leaned in and scratched out the part I had written about his stand. His face closed up. He looked at me uneasy for a second before a single black figure wearing a marching uniform emitting an inaudible noise appeared. Her face lit up as he saw his stand once more. "Thank you," he said hugging it. It disappeared as he turned around and began to walk away. "Hey Rohan, do you think that was such a good idea?" asked Ken. "Sorry about inviting you and not really giving you a chance to do anything," I said ignoring him. I turned back down to my smoothie and stuck a tiny spoon into it pulling out a modest section of the smoothie and placing it in my mouth. What a delicious treat.


	13. Dead Man's Answers

Stand Name: Killer Queen

Stand Ability: First Bomb: Anything Killer Queen touches will turn into a bomb. This bomb will slowly destroy an opponent until there is no evidence of them ever having been there.

Sheer Heart Attack (Secondary Bomb): A slowly rolling tank which tracks the hottest target in the room. Once found the miniature tank will explode with a meter by meter explosion.

Bites The Dust (Tertiary Bomb): Can be placed on target. Should anyone ever learn of the user's identity Bites the Dust will blow them open, record the time they die and send the target back to a save point. After this the next time the time is reached, regardless of whether they learn of his the user's identity or not will die at the given time. The people who are killed will not be brought back if the ability is removed after they die.

Design: A pink humanoid cat with a wrestling belt.

Destructive power: A

Speed: B

Range: D

Durability: B

Precision: B

Development Potential: A

Persephone

I couldn't tell you how long I had been staring at my phone. I had been waiting for a response from Azriel for days but he still hadn't responded. I know he isn't dead. I would be able to tell if he was, and I could finally make that standless follower of mine useful.

But even if he texted, we lost the twins. How would I be able to get the arrow from them now? I scratched my head in a nervous panic.

Their relaxing now, but what do I do if they find out where I'm hiding. I had decided to hide in an abandoned church because I thought it was cool and it was sitting right there. But it wasn't exactly a good hiding spot.

I continued to scratch my head. "Carry On," I said half reassuring myself, and half summoning my stand. "Continue to look for Azriel," I said. Without him I stood no chance of getting the arrow, what was I supposed to do.

"Can't sleep?" Asked John as he strolled up to me. I turned to see him rubbing his eye and yawning. "Its the middle of the day, why were you sleeping?" I asked frustrated. He gave me a soft grin. Despite how lazy he seemed he was somehow the most dangerous stand user I knew.

That was it, if I could get him to help me, I would absolutely be able to get the arrow. The problem was convincing him. "Can you do me a favor?" I began slowly. He turned to me and with a perfect smile responded, "no." I scratched my head again and turned away from him.

"Why are you even here if you don't want to help?" I asked. "To fix teeth I guess," he said sarcastically pointing to his teeth. I blushed as I instinctively covered my mouth. He was so frustrating sometimes.

"That's not the point, I just," I stopped and tried again. "Can you get me the arrow?" I asked. He shook his head and stood up. "If that's all you can offer I think were done here," he said walking away.

Angry, I went back to scratching my head. That's when I felt something. I turned to see a spirit swirling around Carry On.

It appeared to be an old man. That's strange it should have only picked up souls who know me. A low haunting voice echoed from it. "Yoshikage…," it hummed. It was barely audible but I could recognize the word. "Please Yoshikage I miss you…," it said sadly.

Something about the tone of his voice made me feel sorry for him. It was the tone of someone who had lost their child. A tone that was all too familiar to me. I wiped my face and sniffed a bit.

"Carry On," I said. The stands markings glowed as the stand began to take a misty form. They wouldn't be able to interact with anything but I could at least see why I'm able to hear them.

"Agh!" The man screamed as his form became more discernable. He was small with a balding head and a thin mustache. He clasped his face and felt around. "Am I real?" He asked sweating profusely. "What's going on?" He continued. He was able to talk, that is a good sign.

"What is your name?" I asked. Perhaps I knew him when he was alive. "Yo...Yo...Yo…," He stuttered struggling to get out the word. I waited, tapping my foot. It was probably just a side-effect of bringing him back. "Yoshihiro Kira," he finally got out. "Please you've got to help me, I need to find Yoshikage," he said frantically.

I didn't recognize the name Yoshikage. "I'm sorry I don't know them," I said. "Oh," he said with a declining look.

"Maybe he's alive," I commented. "Yeah he was always good at that," he said. However, his face made it obvious he didn't believe me. This just left me with more questions. This old man didn't make any sense.

"If you tell me who you're looking for I can see if they're dead or not," I proposed. He looked up to me hopefully. "Really!?" He said. "Of course," I said. "His name is Yoshikage Kira, he is my son. Normally I'd be more cautious about giving out his name but I'm desperate. I haven't seen my son since I died and I'm worried about him," he explained.

I concentrated on my stand. I wasn't that in touch with it so it was a little harder than I showed externally. Come on I told myself. I felt sweat fall down my face until I eventually felt it. Then it pushed back.

"Come on," I whispered. Another bead of sweat rolled down my forehead. Maybe I was wrong about my skill. This soul was incredibly hard to summon. Eventually, I felt a cold sensation run down my body, the typical sign I had managed to summon someone. For a second I thought I saw a blond man wearing ethereal clothing. He didn't seem to notice me.

There was a small pause. "That's not…," I began but was cut off by Carry On disappearing. The world began to shake, it felt like I had been punched in the gut.

I felt anger swelling up. Could I do nothing right! The twins didn't want to come home, Azriel had left me. I slammed my fist onto the splintered floor. I would give it one more shot. "Carry On!" I shouted.

The furniture began to shake and wails filled the room. The old spirit backed off in fear. That's right! I was powerful, I was someone to fear!

I had never pushed my stand this far before. The streams of sand brushing down the sides of my stand became a condensed stream spurting out at dangerous speeds. Once more he materialized.

The man was more visible, but there was something stranger at play. He noticed me, but his face was expressionless. He was standing there but I couldn't comprehend standing in the same room that we were standing. A cold aura emanated from him.

I felt the sensation of him being ripped away from us once more. "Yoshihiro!" I called out to him. He stared in disbelief.

"My son! Please come here!" He was tearing up. "Please!" He repeated the phrase again and again. He was like a little boy searching for a wounded puppy. I felt sorry for him.

Trugh! A hand clasped around my stand. Trugh! Another. They kept coming until the stand could no longer resist. Uncountable hands tore away at its armor. My skin fell away as they worked. "Agh!" I cried out in pain and released my stand.

The man gave his father an indifferent and empty look. He walked away, disappearing from sight before either of us could stop him.

And like that, it had finished. The wailing stopped. The shaking was no more. Yoshihiro was left reaching for the air.

"Who is your son?" I asked him. "He's absolutely dead, but when I reached out to him I feel like every cell in my body is being ripped apart cell by cell," I explained. "I've honestly never felt anything like this and I don't think I can even reach him."

He looked down sad. "I understand." "Thank you for trying anyway miss," he said politely, "is there anything I can do to repay your kindness."

I felt unsatisfied. Why had I summoned this ghost? "Why did you come to me?" I asked.

"I'm sorry if this is rude but you very much resembled my son at that moment. He always went on with nervous habits about this and that. He would get so scared sometimes," he explained. Whenever I saw him like that I wished I had the strength or courage to hold him and tell him everything will be alright," he said, "Madam if you don't mind could I'd really like to give you some advice, you remind me of him so much."

"Alright," I said. I could use some advice. "Do what you need to do. Walk in the light. Never be dragged down by the things you can control," he said. "Perhaps if I could have told my son that things wouldn't have turned out this way."

I stared at him for a minute thinking back to my fight. Had that been why I had lost? I ran away because I couldn't win right? No.

"Thank you," I said, "may you have a peaceful afterlife."

He nodded as I summoned Carry On to disperse him back into the Morioh winds. I lowered my hand from my head, it was time to get down to business.

"John," I called, "I've got a proposition for you."


	14. The True Heart of Justice Part 1

Okuyasu

I sent Josuke a text letting him know I was on my way over. I raised my arm hailing a cab. After a minute a cab stopped to let me in. I looked up to the cab driver, who was trying to hide a stack of money he was counting. He turned his head back to me putting it in a compartment below the wheel. "Where too?" He asked. I scratched my head for a second as I remembered where I was going. "The Morioh Hotel," I tried. The man sighed and gave me a frustrated look. Had I gotten it wrong? "Which one, we have got two or three?" He asked. I tried to remember. "I think it was The Grand hotel?" I tried. He nodded and turned back to the wheel. "Let's get going then?" He said.

The man locked the doors and began to drive. My eyes wandered around the cab unable to sit still for too long on one thing. I wonder if Jolyne is in trouble. It's sad what happened to her father but I think I understand how she feels. Like she needs to hit something but don't have anything to hit. Like you need to do something to keep yourself occupied. As I was left to my thoughts I suddenly became curious about the money the driver had. Where did he get it? He must have saved it up, no cab driver makes that much? If he had saved it up why did he have it now? It wasn't my business but I couldn't stop myself. I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned up to the front seat.

"Where did ya get that money?" I asked hoping he wouldn't brush it off. He laughed nervously. "Oh, you saw that just pay for a job. "Wow, I didn't know you could make that kind of money driving people around," I commented. He began to sweat. "Well ya, cars are a big business nowadays," he chuckled to himself. "What do you do…" he tried to change the topic, but I shifted it back. "Ya know my friend Josuke says he wants to buy me a car someday, do ya know any good ones?" He stared at me with fear in his eyes and sweat running down his face. I wiped my own face instinctively and noticed I was also sweating heavily. "It's pretty hot in here mister, you might want to turn on the air conditioning." He chuckled nervously again and reached for his air conditioning turning it up.

As the dial turned the car began to speed up. "Oh," he said confused. "Well that's bizarre, I don't think I've ever seen that problem. "Try putting a window down or something," he told me. I pointed to a button on the window. "Is this the one." He turned his head back and gave me a nod. I pushed the button causing a slow buzz to get louder as I held it. I turned to the front seeing that the car's heating had kicked in. I wiped more sweat off of my brow. I needed to stop this heat. "We might need to punch a hole in the window at this point," I said. He turned down the dial, slowing the car until it had stopped. "I think it might be best if you wait here for a minute while I go and check to make sure the car is okay to drive. He flipped a switch on the door attempting to unlock it. Instead of unlocking the door, a loud sound began to ring in our ears.

The car next to us began to beep loudly as if something had triggered its anti-theft alarm. This was becoming a problem. "I'm going to break the door to get out," I told him. He shook his head frantically at me. "No, no. Hold on. I can open the door." "The Hand!" I cried. The stand raised his hand ready to cut open the door. He pressed at the dashboard frantically looking for an answer. However, as it became harder to breathe I told him that I was going to do it. "No!" He cried desperately. "Hold on!" He opened up the compartment below the wheel and dug around. As every function, the car had seemed to join together like a choir tickling a person to death, I sighed feeling lightheaded. "You have ten seconds." I could barely feel my arms anymore but I knew I could last that long. The man held up a small light at the end of a handle. It was some kind of child's toy. He held the light to the window. "Stop!" He seemed to shout through the foggy windows. But no response came. Ten seconds passed. I realized my hand hadn't dropped. I had nearly lost it. The Hand's palm fell erasing the car wall bringing in a rush of fresh, cold air.

I gasped glad to be free and annoyed the driver had wasted so much time. I turned to see him slowly being torn apart by countless mechanical arms. Every bone in his body was separated into piles based on size. In the blink of an eye, the man had become several piles containing a lot of bones. It stared in horror as a familiar figure walked forward. It was the doctor Jolyne has brought here with her. "What are you doing?" I cried with rage building in my voice.

The arms cleaned him up as he began to speak. "I was killing him you idiot, what did you think I was doing?" I sneered at him, "Does death mean nothing to you?" He stared mildly amused at my shock. "His death is a tragedy but if we play this right no one else will have to die," he tried to explain. I could barely hear his justifications as I stood up and ran at him. He stopped his explanation when I began moving in his direction. "Factory Showroom!" He called. The thousand-armed mechanical stand appeared blocking my path. I couldn't see him as the hand tore through the arms in a diagonal across the stand. The moment the motion was done more hands sprouted up from stand grasping at The Hand freezing it in place.

"A stand battle is about information. Not strength." The doctor spoke with cold confidence. His serious demeanor was a far cry from his goofy act from before. "My stand might not be as strong as yours but I've had the time to make sure I won't lose," he said. I felt my skin being torn off as the arms played with The Hand's arm. I began to bleed as it worked it's up slowly and efficiently. I struggled to move but couldn't. If I attacked him again Both of my arms would be stuck. I could only see one way out of this.

The Hand raised its arm and brought it down on my shoulder freeing me from the grasp of the enemy stand and my arm. I didn't bleed out, that was just the way The Hand worked. Instead of bleeding out skin stretched further then it should have been able to. I felt my toes tense up as the skin I had tightened all over my body. In a second The Hand had turned and brought its hand down once more carrying me away from the doctor. I needed to warn Josuke.

Stand Name: Love Deluxe

Stand Ability: Can control her hair at will, can grow her hair to wrap around her target, hair does not have to be on her head to be controlled.

Design: Appears to be hair.

Destructive power: B

Speed: B

Range: C

Durability: A

Precision: E

Development Potential: B

Yukako

I started nervously at my watch. What if he was late. We had made plans to meet up here today. But as the hand of the watch ticked forward I was greeted by his warm smile. "Sorry, have you been waiting long Yukako?" He spoke with a warmth I could never understand. I was lucky just to know him. "You're late," I scolded. He looked at his watch confused and looked back up. "No, I'm not, exactly six pm." He held up his watch to show me. "It's not good enough to be on time, you need to be early if you want to impress anyone." I scolded him but I loved that he was so reliable.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You know were just getting tickets for a flight to Italy right?" "How romantic," I said with love in my voice. He knew I was mostly messing with him. I had managed to move past a lot of the anger I had when we first met. Koichi had helped me move past that, and I was grateful to him. "I thought you said you saved up for a trip this year," I teased. He sighed. "We might have to move that romantic vacation you wanted back." I felt my face tense up with anger for a second as I met his eyes. Instead of turning away like he used to, he stepped towards me and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry, this trip meant a lot to you didn't it?" I felt the anger flow out of me in his embrace. My frown slowly became a smile. I remembered why I had fallen for him. He was so kind to everyone. Even towards someone as horrible as me. I pulled away blushing a bit.

We began to make our way to the terminal. It was standard as terminals went with a screen glowing and ready. It wouldn't be an exciting venture, but honestly, I just wanted to spend more time with him. He pulled out his wallet. As he combed through it for the proper amount a sleazy looking man slipped up to us. He placed his arm on the top of the machine and looked at us with a grin that put me off. From his greasy hair hidden behind a trashy baseball cap, to the tattered jeans and heavy jacket. Nothing about him seemed trustworthy. He scanned us and must have noticed my distrust as his gaze shifted down to Koichi with a casual smirk. I opened my mouth to tell him to leave but he spoke to Koichi before I could stop him.

"Hey kid you might want to change machines, this one chewed up a bunch of my money earlier," he said. Koichi looked up surprised. "Oh, really?" He looked at the machine. I don't know how I didn't notice it before, the screen isn't moving at all. "Same with all the other machines here," he said motioning the rows of machines behind him. "There was a power surge earlier, and now none of them are working." I scanned the room not believing my eyes. All of the machines were stuck on the same screen. Koichi sighed in frustration. "Was there any statement on when they'll be working again?"

The man gave him a mischievous smile and leaned in close. He raised a hand to his mouth like he was disclosing a dirty secret. "I know a trick to get you a ticket if you want," he said. Koichi blinked surprised. "Really?" "Of course," he said. I felt my hair stand on end as he said this. I have no idea who this guy is but something about him is unnerving me. I pulled Koichi back and leaned down to speak into his ear. "I don't trust this guy Koichi, you need to be careful." His eyes locked with mine. We shared an intimate exchange for a second. "I understand," said Koichi with confidence in his voice.

He turned back to the man. "You're not giving us these for free are you?" Koichi asked. The man replied without missing a beat. "Of course there will be a small convenience tax," replied the man. "I'm John by the way," he said extending a hand. Koichi took his hand, "that's an English name isn't it?" He flashed a white grin as he began to walk away. "I only need ¥20,000." Koichi was shocked by the man's price. "That's only a third of what is usually paid." He said confused. "Just tell your friends about me," said John slipping Koichi a wink in a way to stop me from noticing.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, we came to St Gentlemen's. "Let's grab a bite to eat before we talk business. He walked inside, holding the door open for us. Koichi turned to me. "Do you want anything Yukako," I'm fine I said turning away from him. "Ok," he said confused. I wanted to make John feel like he was in control and that he had Koichi to himself. They wet up to the front to order while I picked out a table. I looked around sitting in the chair. Once I was sure no one was watching I ran my hand through my hair nervously. I needed to play this carefully. This guy could end up being a stand user, but then why is he tricking us.

Koichi and John both sat at the table engrossed in their conversation about a shared love of sandwiches. They ate their meal without incident but I beginning to speculate about what could be going one. Maybe I was wrong and he was just a normal person. Regardless of whether it was better to be safe than sorry. Just then it struck me. I was sitting here with the person I loved thinking about being attacked. This is why I could never be happy. The incident with Kira had messed me up more than I let myself admit. Whenever I hung out with Koichi I always spent my time worrying about his safety. What if they have a gun, what if there a stand user? I hated myself for this. I couldn't get over this, and I was letting it tear me away from him. I felt an emptiness well up in my stomach. Maybe I'm the problem, not this John character. Am I wrong? There must be something broken inside of me. I felt like I needed to be somewhere, anywhere away from Koichi. If he saw me crying he would blame himself. It's never his fault, it's always me. I'm always the one responsible for his suffering. Ever since we met.

I stood up to leave. Koichi seemed to break immediately from his conversation. His full attention focused on me as I was leaving. "Where are you going?" Koichi asked. "I need to leave for today, I'll see you tomorrow," I told him walking out the door. "Are you sure?" He asked me. "Of course I'm sure!" I yelled back at him. I stomped out the door. The moment the door closed behind me I regretted my decision. I wanted so badly to be with him but the moment we start hanging out I shout at him. No one would want to hang out with you. As I stepped away from the door I heard the bells ring as someone followed me outside.

I turned to see Koichi. In an instant, he recognized my face and wrapped me in a warm hug. "Get off me!" I shouted at him before I knew what I was saying. Koichi jumped off of me in a flash. "I'm sorry, I thought…" he trailed off as I became even more frustrated. I had it, and I had thrown it away without thinking. Why am I so bad at being a person. It shouldn't be this hard, it's just me messing up everything. "It's not you, it's just, I need some space for a bit," I said stomping away in quiet, frustrated rage. "Yukako," Koichi called after me. "Please be safe, I care about you." I stopped in my tracks unable to stop the tears any longer. "Koichi…" I said, trailing off. "Can we talk over there for a second?" I asked. "Sure," he replied beginning to walk over to the side of the building where I had pointed. As soon as we arrived, he turned around. "W…" He began. I pulled Koichi into a deep embrace as the tears ran down my face. "Can we stay here for a bit." Koichi began to try and speak but I squeezed him causing to lose a bit of his air. My hair instinctively wrapped around him and I forming a cocoon. After a few minutes, I let go. He gasped for air, causing me to feel a bit guilty. I turned away from him embarrassed by my actions. The hair returned to its natural state only leaving a few strands on the ground. He's got to be angry at me for that. "Koichi I…" I began. But it was his turn to interrupt. "Don't be afraid to ask if you need a hug," he said reaching for my hand. I made no move to resist as I felt his hand warm mine. "Thank you," I said, "I think I'll be fine now, I just had some heavy stuff on my mind. You can go back inside now." "Are you sure your okay?" Koichi double-checked. "Of course," I said. This was a lie, I had put enough on Koichi already. I didn't need to burden him anymore with my stupid problems.

Koichi gave me a smile and walked back inside. He stopped at the door and turned back to me. "Let's meet here next weekend," he said with a big smile. I hadn't seen him smile so genuinely in a long time. "I can't wait," I said to him with a feeling of joy that I couldn't express with words alone. It was like warmth and protectiveness and love and so much more. I blushed and laughed to myself as Koichi headed back inside. I think I was ready to go home. I stood up and began to walk home.

I had made it about a mile before I was stopped by a painting figure calling after me. I turned around to see John. I stepped back. "Where is Koichi?!" I asked in a panic. He held up a hand still exhausted from the run. After a minute of anxiety building, he swallowed and looked up at me to answer my questions. "He is safe and will stay safe as long as you do what I say." I panicked and ran up to him. "You're on Fire," he said summoning a stand made of large spaghetti running a single strand from him, to somewhere else.

I gritted my teeth and slapped him with an open palm knocking the hat off of his head. "Do that again and you'll find your boyfriend won't be in good condition when you get him back. I clenched my fists in anger, but at least I had gotten a hit in on him. That might make whatever he demanded more bearable. "What do you want?" I demanded to know, "To kill us or something." He chuckled. "Murdering would be extremely dumb, which is why I'm using it as leverage and not my plan. Plus I could go without anyone else's death on my conscience." I stayed silent while he talked. "Persephone wants me to get you out of the picture, but that doesn't have to mean killing you.

So I'm going to make sure neither of you can be part of this fight any longer. So basically." He concluded, "Stand still." I began to panic as he pulled a handgun out of his oversized jacket. "BANG!" I felt a stream of blood run down my left leg. "BANG!" I felt a stream of blood run down my right leg. I fell to the ground grasping desperately for something to pull me up. I needed to get to Koichi. He was going to be in trouble without me. This man was a stand user. My eyes darted over to see him put away the gun and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number into it quickly. "Yes, I need an ambulance, someone has been shot in the legs." John ended the call and fell back against a wall. "I'm sorry you had to be part of this, but you'll both be fine now." He said. To my amazement, he released his stand causing the noodle in the air to disappear. "He's not!" I began to panic. "Relax, I've just made it so he can't leave the restaurant until I return there. Even if its unusual, love always finds a way, and I think that is beautiful."


	15. The True Heart of Justice Part 2

Josuke

I took a large sip of the juice I had ordered. I had wanted to grab some alcohol, but Jolyne was technically too young to drink and I felt drinking might somehow lead to a fight. Jolyne sat facing away from me taking a long drink of water from a straw. Slurp. She had reached the end but didn't seem to have noticed. "Do you want another drink?" I asked. She didn't seem to hear me. "Jolyne," I tried again. "Huh," she said turning to me. "Did you want another drink," I said pointing to her cup of ice cubes. "Sure," she said. She seemed distracted by something. "Sorry, I guess I'm bad at giving tours," I said turning to my drink. "No the tour was fine, I'm just worried about Jotaro," she said poking at the ice with her straw. "He'll be fine," I said, "you should stop worrying so much." She got a frustrated look on her face. "Yeah," she said avoiding eye contact. I raised my hand to flag down a waiter. He walked over. He looked strange. His hair was scruffy and unwashed, and his clothes looked like they had been put on in a rush. Still, it wasn't my job to judge other people, how they lived their life was up to them. I turned to Jolyne. She looked at the waiter for a minute and sighed. "Just give me another water please," she said. "Of course ma'am," the waiter said and walked to the kitchen. "I'm serious you know, don't let his condition get you down," I said to her. I understood how she felt. She probably thought that Jotaro was injured because she wasn't good enough. "Don't blame yourself for what is out of your control," I told her. "Yeah I know," she said with anger in her voice. "You're too uptight, you need to relax a bit," I said. Her eyebrows sunk even further down as I said that. "Like this," I said putting a grin on my face. "Here you go miss," the waiter had arrived with water in hand. I could swear I saw a grin on his face for a moment as he tripped. The water spilled all over her soaking her from head to toe. Her anger finally reached its tipping point.

Jolyne stood up from the table and stomped on the ground. "What are you doing," she said screaming at him. She grabbed him by the collar. "Look what you did," she pointed to her clothes. "I'm sorry," the man said with a voice full of smarm and grease. "You think this is funny," she continued. His ever-growing grin meant the answer to her question was probably yes. "Let me go get you a rag to wipe yourself down. A woman stared from a few feet away. She probably wanted to intervene but was scared of Jolyne. I stood up. I had gotten used to situations like this when dining. Koichi was nice but pretty much every other stand user in Morioh would start a fight over the smallest thing. I placed my hand on Jolyne's arm. "I apologize for my friend, she's under a lot of pressure right now," I said moving her arm off of the poor waiter. "Oh now you want to do something," she said turning her anger on me. "What are you talking about Jolyne," I said. "Why did you insist we waste the whole day on a pointless tour when we could have been doing something useful," she said through gritted teeth. Her clenched fists cracked, and a stand began to appear. We had now attracted the attention of the whole restaurant. Every eye was watching me see what we would do. "You Americans are so loud," I said. "Let's finish this conversation outside," I said pulling out my wallet. I removed a fairly large sum of money and handed it to him. "This should cover the meal," I said and turned for the door. Jolyne gave the man a dirty look as she followed me.

The outside air was cool. I'm sure if Jolyne wasn't so heated with anger she'd be freezing right now. "Take a deep breath," I said. "Shut up," she said. She drew her stand to punch me. "Crazy Diamond," I said. My stand caught her punch with both hands but was pushed back by its strength. "You've got a pretty powerful stand," I said. Crazy Diamond stomped, digging its feet into the concrete. Her gaze was filled with anger. A mischievous grin grew across my face as I got an idea. I exaggeratedly pulled a fist back. I threw a fist at her as if to hit her. Her stand assumed a defensive stance. My fist, however, stopped short. My palm opened up as I threw dust onto her wet body making her a little muddy. She wiped the thin layer of mud off of her torso with a free hand. She growled at me frustrated. "Take this seriously," she said. Stone Free threw another punch. "I realize you think your responsible for your dad's injuries but it wasn't your fault," I said opening my arms up for an attack. "Shut up, I know it's not my fault," she said punching me to the ground. It hurt, but I wiped myself down standing up again. "I think I know what your feeling," I said. "Long ago I met my father for the first time in my life. Sons are supposed to learn responsibility from their parents but mine never taught me anything. Suddenly this old geezer shows up and puts his life on the line for those he had never met. Suddenly I had an example of what responsibility looks like. It is not a death pact devotion to an idea or a cause. Responsibility is taking care to maintain what is yours as well as what isn't," I said. "Ever since Jotaro was injured I've had to take care of him and what he left behind. His jobs are my responsibility," she said. "They aren't yours alone though," I said reaching out my hand. "Let me help you." She started at my hand for a bit. "Tell you what," I said, "why don't you pick any object here to beat up. I gestured around me to the trash cans and ally ways. For the first time all night, she smiled at me. "That sounds therapeutic actually. She took a deep breath in and Stone Free raised its fist. "OR…," before the first punch could finish being thrown at the wall a figure stepped from around the corner. "I've got you now…," he was cut off by a fist to the face. "ORA!" And then another. It kept going as his body twisted with each punch.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" His body bounced back and forth between the wall like a bumper car being ganged upon. After the straight minute of being pounded finished, he finally slumped against the wall. "His blood had gotten everywhere. "Boy, you did a number on him," I said. I leaned down to see the damage. I summoned Crazy Diamond and began to heal him. As his face became less broken I began to recognize it. It was the waiter from inside the restaurant. What was he doing out here? "Gonna, gonna get…," he murmured to himself as if in the middle of a dream. As the blood began to clear I noticed a gun sitting in his lap. Better get rid of this, these things can be dangerous I thought to myself. I lifted the gun and chucked it in the trash. "I think its time you and I get back, but if you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask," I told her. She nodded with a big grin across her face. She was beaming ear to ear. "Of course," she said.

Stand Name: Comfortably Numb

Stand Ability: The stand can shock a target with a small static shock. However these static shocks will remove a target's senses once targeted properly making it very difficult to fight back.

Design: The stand is an invisible mass of electric wind which can be very difficult to hit but makes it difficult to defend its user.

Destructive power: C

Speed: A

Range: C

Durability: N/A

Precision: B

Development Potential: B

Koichi

The doctor kept me for longer than I thought, but I'd be home soon. I needed all the rest I could for my date with Yukako tomorrow. She can be a real handful sometimes. I had tried bringing Josuke with us once but she just ended u starting fights to make him look bad. I rubbed my eyes as I stepped out of the elevator onto the first floor. As I stepped out a woman maid wearing a black veil stepped in. That is a weird coincidence I thought to myself, but probably just a slightly off person. I shouldn't assume things. Besides nothing bad will happen as long as I remember to tell Josuke about it when I see him again.


	16. Famous Last Words

Persephone

Without a moment of hesitation or doubt Josuke slammed a foot on the arrow. Crazy Diamond materialized and grabbed me by the hair. It was becoming hard to see with the blood streaming down my right eye. "Dora!" I was tossed against the wall. I ragdolled all over. The Dora's kept coming. DORADORADORA! I couldn't stop them. The faint beatings became nothing but muted noise in my ears. I had failed everyone, including myself.

I saw the faint image of a little girl in my mind. She pressed herself against the inside of a window on a rainy day. Her eyes watched for the car. She waited for her parents to come home. Had I taken a wrong turn? Did I betray myself? How she waited. She just waited for her loved ones to come home. At some point, I had learned that waiting was the worst thing I could do. I moved on, but in my heart, I still waited. I needed someone, anyone to come home.

I was done with waiting. I had never had a fortunate life. Always tripping, always losing people, always falling. I had isolated myself for a while. But people kept pulling me out of my slump. Good people. Dead friends. But when I had learned about the requiem arrow I had known what I had to do. An arrow to transform the wish of the user into reality.

I opened my eyes a tiny bit. Time had barely passed. The man was still beating me bloody with his stand. But there was another. That crazy doctor was standing behind him just watching. His confident smile threw me off. Did he still have faith in my victory? I slumped against the bloody concrete as he finished his assault.

He took his foot off the arrow and bent down to get it. That was my chance. I reached my arm out and grabbed the arrow. He flinched. I pulled it closer, summoning a faint visage of my stand. I wouldn't give up on my dream now, I have come too far. My hand cracked in half as he brought his black dress shoe down on it. My hand was bent into a 'u' shape. The arrow left a trail of blood on my palm as it was knocked out of it.

He jumped down to grab the arrow before I could. I reached my broken hand in the direction it had skid. The arm of my stand manifested with a thumb holding its ring finger back. With a small gust of wind, the stand flicked the arrow away from him. The metal tumbled across the hotel floor. He stood up again to chase after it. I slammed the stand's arm into his stomach sending him flying back a few feet. As I did I felt a sharp pain in my arm causing the stand to become even harder to see.

He stood up dripping heavy blood onto the floor. His face was covered in scratches from battles. His hair still stood up in an unnatural pompadour. I felt the veil fall from my face a little more. The words of the old man I had talked to a while ago flooded back to me. "Do what you need to do. Walk in the light. Never be dragged down by the things you can control." I took a sharp breath. I had always been afraid of being seen by others. How could I live a life in the sunlight after everyone had drifted in the darkness? It wasn't right.

If I was going to help them, I would have to stand in the light despite my fears. I struggled to get up. The man was reaching for the arrow. I summoned my stand. Some of the earth from its outer shell was crumbling away. The sand was leaking out of its body at an alarming rate. I tried to ignore what that probably meant for my body and pushed back the pain. "Ora" my stand cried punching his arm away from it. He tumbled backward and stood in one swift movement. His stand drew back a fist and began to barrage me with his fists. I countered faster than I ever had before. "ORA!" As our fists met the stand called out their cries. The fists bounced off of each other in a mass of oras and doras.

Below us, the requiem arrow danced around from the wind generated from the violent conflict. I watched them move in circles and then. "ORA!" My stand moved its foot to it. "DORA!" even while exchanging blows with their fists the stand began an intense match below the belt to retrieve the arrow. I felt several toes hatter from the stands tremendous stomping. My face became covered in even more shadows as I backed up. I wasn't able to keep up with him in my current state. It was a wonder I was able to fend him off as well as I was able to. I backed up unexpectedly into the wall. It would soon be over if I didn't find some way to turn the tables.

I felt anxiety creeping over me. I wouldn't let it all be for nothing. Getting this arrow had been my life's work. These stand users were just the latest obstacle to overcome. I looked desperately around for something to use. The tables were upturned, and the carpet had been ripped away. I had nothing to grab within reach.

My stand failed to block a punch knocking my head against the wall. It left a small indent and cracked the armor of my stand even more.

The man gave me a cold, terrifying look. He opened his mouth to speak but I already knew what he was going to say. "You lose." A single fist grabbed my head and threw it deep into the concrete.

I felt a ringing from somewhere I couldn't place. I moved my tongue about my mouth to confirm my fears. I had lost more teeth. That psycho teenager from earlier had already punched out quite a few of my teeth. It seemed I wouldn't have many left by the time this was done. That's when I heard him.

"J", It was the quietest I had ever heard him, but unmistakable. It was Azriel. He had come home. He still remembered my old name. I felt so delighted I almost forgot the number of my broken bones. He had come back. I squinted my eyes to see through the blood. It was difficult but I could just barely manage to see him.

He stood in the door in rags. His eyes met mine in a solemn gesture. Not a single word was needed to express his feelings. I'm not sure a single word could convey the feelings of his gaze. It was an apology. It was a resolution. It was a message.

"Black Parade!" A faint echo wrapped through the hotel room. But I couldn't hear it. The man couldn't hear it. Not even the psycho girl passed out on the floor could hear it. This was Azriel's last resort. The fact he had to use this reaffirmed the gravity of this situation. I wasn't just fighting for myself, I was fighting for everyone. "Famous Last Words!" A black stand stood in his place as he fell to the ground.

The stand rushed the man. He dropped the arrow to defend himself. "Shit!" He cried. I once more felt the old man's word flow through me.

I recalled the ones I had lost to get to this point. I watched Azriel's sacrifice unfold before me. For the first time in a while, I stood up and took a step into the light. "Carry On My Wayward Son", the stand reappeared even more broken than before and grasped the arrow. Sand escaped in all direction mirroring my own blood. In a swift motion, I raised my arm with the stand and brought the arrow down. It pierced the heart of my stand.

Stand Name: The Black Parade

Stand Ability: The black parade creates a constant sonic wave which slowly captures everyone caught in it, transforming them into faceless members of the parade.

Famous last words: The stand user puts their own life on the line by giving their own soul to the march of the black parade. This allows them to use themselves as a shield.

Design: A faceless shadow wearing marching gear.

Destructive power: D

Speed: D

Range: A

Durability: A

Precision: C

Development Potential: B


	17. Carry On Requiem Part 1

Stand Name: Factory Showroom

Stand Ability: Can switch the functions of electronic devices within its range.

Metal Detector: Can switch the functions of two chosen electronic devices.

Design: A chaotic mess of 100 of robotic arms like one might see on an assembly line with a singular glowing eye at its center.

Destructive power: D

Speed: B

Range: B

Durability: C

Precision: A

Development Potential: B

Okuyasu

I brought The Hand's palm down once more. It carried me the final stretch placing me right in front of Jolyne's hotel. I took a moment to regain my stamina. I had hurried here as fast as I could, but I was afraid I still might be too late.

I took a look down at the woman under my arm. Her gaze was fixed on the floor. It seemed she still hadn't recovered from her fight with the stand user.

I had always known she was a bit unstable. She had kidnapped Koichi early on in their relationship. But I still cared for her. I want both of them to be safe, they were some of my only friends.

I pushed open the door to the hotel and stopped. Something felt really off. The air had an electric quality to it. I couldn't really explain it but it felt like the room was wrong and I knew it.

I looked around the room. There had to stand user in the room somewhere. My eyes darted left and right. Up and down. All around the room. I took a step back as the sound of a radio snapped me out of it.

My eyes shifted to where the sound was coming from. Leaning against a vending machine was a police officer. He was listening to a handheld radio. "Young woman, long black hair, angular features," came a voice from the other end. "Keep your eyes peeled." It's been a while since we've had a murderer in town," remarked the man wistfully.

I had to be careful to avoid him. I leaned Yukako against the wall outside. "Hey, wake up," I whispered. Her eyes bore into me only separated by an unnatural period of winks.

I sighed and stood up. I would have to leave her here for now. An unresponsive woman would draw too much attention. I would have to be quick about getting help from Jolyne and Josuke.

I entered with confidence and strolled right up to the elevator. My finger made its way to the button. But before I could click it I was interrupted with a long, uncomfortable ding. My eyes moved from the button to the opening doors. I only had a moment to prepare before Josuke jumped out with Jolyne under his arm.

Oh. That was unexpected. Josuke noticed me and quickly wrapped me under his arm. "Crazy Diamond!" I could barely react fast enough. A pink aura wrapped itself around his palm and we were carried through the glass doors. "The Hand!" Shwoooop. Space was erased and Yukako was picked off the ground and hurled towards me.

Just as her hand-knitted with mine a car drove through her. Her wrist cracked and body ragdolled unnaturally from the impact. I didn't have time to think about it right now, I just had to move. I moved my hand down her arm so I wasn't putting a strain on her broken wrist. "Freeze!" came a voice from in front.

I turned to see a police officer pointing his gun at us. He was stopping us from going any further in the alley. "Make any sudden moves and I'll shoot." There was a crack as Josuke sunk Crazy Diamond's feet into the ground. It was no use though. Whatever Josuke was restoring was carrying us pretty far away. "The Hand." As soon as I'd said it the officer fired. I managed to dodge in time to avoid the bullet. It whizzed past me leaving a small streak of blood. On my cheek. The gun flew past as well, hurtled through space by my ability.

Bang! Another shot from behind. I reacted at a turtle's pace. The bullet had made me flinch. The body under my arm shifted. She couldn't stand, but elevated herself with her hair. The officer from the lobby stood shocked as the bullet dropped. It had been stopped by a wall of hair a meter tall.

He backed up slowly but slipped. He fell on the ground throwing his gun in the air. The object he slipped on slid under our feet. The gun tossed in the air went off as it left his hand. The bullet flew straight for Jolyne. Luckily she still had enough fight to summon her stand. "Stone Free!". The stand punched the bullet with a right hook. The bullet changed the angle of the momentum filled gun on the floor. It spun into the hands of the officer in front.

Bang! I turned to see the cop fire once more, as if out of fear. The bullet flew over the now slumped Jolyne. Based on its trajectory it was going to miss all of us and fly straight through. Josuke was hit in the ear taking a piece out of it. I was shocked, but then I realized what had happened. I had forgotten that we were still moving. Josuke was still being dragged forward by the object he was restoring. Instantaneously a pipe matching the spot blown off was severed letting light fumes escape the body.

In reaction, Josuke punched the cop's lights out. He fell to the ground with a thud.

"You see it now don't you," came a voice from behind I didn't recognize. I turned yet again to see a woman tearing off a now unrecognizable outfit. Underneath she wore a long sleeve shirt with triangles running down the top of the sleeves. Around her neck sat a large amount of noisy glass jewelry. She could have been a wind chime if I was blind.

"This is my stand, Carry On Requiem." She raised her hands to praise the light bathing her. "Are you surprised, scared maybe. Perhaps you wish to know the nature of the power that will defeat you, or even of the arrow you have just lost." The air was silent, but I felt it again, stronger than last time. Space was wrong around her. I took a step away from her.

The form of a stand slowly manifested behind her. It stepped into the entrance of the alley. The stone on the outside had fallen away, but not before it was superheated. What was once sand had become a divine being of stain glass handcrafted by god himself. The plate on its mouth had melted and taken shape as a golden ring around its neck. Light refracted within its body one million times forming a sphere of every spectrum of light. Some light escaped it. As the beams of light escaped they ran across the ground. Everything they touched was brought a second chance.

Small grass struggling to grow out of the darkness of the alley began to rise up. Not only that. Many blades of grass escaped and upturned the concrete. Where the grass grew a new man stood.

A teenager with a terrified expression. "Don't shoot!" He cried and fell into the fetal position. "But you're dead," Said the cop behind us. "I… I shot you." The young man met his terror with rage. And like a beast from hell, he pounced and tore away at the man's flesh. It was like a horror movie.

The woman ignored all of this. Her gaze never left Jolyne. Jolyne to my surprise responded. "What is this stand, it messed with space and time." she pointed her finger. "What is your power." The old woman cackled. "I see no downside to telling you, there is no way to counter it after all." Jolyne inhaled heavily and summoned her to stand. A bruised and beaten Stone Free was summoned from within Jolyne. It collapsed on the ground somehow exhausted.

"You will have to listen closely because this is going to get a little complicated, and even I'm not sure of the specifics. My stand before this had the ability to place the spirits of the dead into the living, functionally possession. Based on that I know humans have spirits, things that leave them when they die and determine their identity as a person. A spirit does not determine the physical appearance, however."

"By experimenting I know animals have spirits too. Even grass has a spirit, although I was never able to do anything with it. It couldn't even enter a human body despite animals having the same power. So what else has a spirit? Rocks? Hills? Mountains? Maybe even cities? If so what is the identity that defines them? What if the soul can be viewed, and manipulated."

"My stand works on an even grander scale than all of that. My stand can view and manipulate the soul of the world, what one could perhaps call god. It is quite difficult to achieve, however. I was only able to give it one simple, generic law. I have changed the fabric of reality for a large patch of the world to conspire in my favor. I've given it identity and purpose. Perhaps I will be able to work even greater miracles given time."

"Of course all of this is simply a guess based on what I know. Perhaps I'm wrong entirely." "You sure love talking about yourself lady don't you," shouted Jolyne. "Josuke lets go!" He gave her an exhausted nod and removed Crazy Diamond's feet from the concrete. All of the energy trying to move them must have been building up, like a slingshot.

They flew through the air towards a car dealership. "Jolyne!" Called Josuke without flinching. Jolyne, in turn, raised her arm to the sky. It was gone. In its place was a large parachute. That's what she must have been doing while the crazy woman was talking.

"Yukako!" Called Jolyne. The woman stayed slumped, but her hair traveled up Jolyne's arm filling in many of the holes Jolyne couldn't. "Okuyasu!" whispered Yukako.

I had no idea what was going on. How were they able to have this much coordination without speaking a word. I gave a fearful look towards my best friend. He gave me a reassuring smile, and I knew what I had to do.

"The Hand!" My stand materialized from within me and rotated about my feet until it was posing below me. With one swift motion, it drew its hand as far back as it could manage. It drew a line in space carrying us upwards. The extra space was what the parachute needed to slow our fall.

We landed with a collective thud onto the paving of a car dealership. Josuke opened his palm letting a small metal part fly under the car and back into place in the engine. I was shocked to see it was a Lamborghini. "Josuke what is... ". He gave me that smile again, and I almost felt safe.

Of course, I wasn't. Our enemy was apparently the whole world. There was no way we could fight that. I was terrified. I felt insignificant.

The feeling that space was wrong only became more and more real. It felt like I was being puppeted, and I hated it.

Josuke touched the stub where my arm once was sending his pink aura coursing through it. "Your arm should be heading back to you now."

He turned to address everyone present. "I stole the keys a long time ago in case it was ever necessary to beat a stand user, but I didn't want to take it until I paid for it." "If we make it out of this my family has close ties to the Speedwagon foundation, I can do what I can to help." Said Jolyne.

Josuke nodded, spinning the keys around his index finger. He made a move to unlock the car and sighed. "Right then, let's get started."


	18. Carry On Requiem Part 2

Carry On Requiem Part 2

Stand Name: Carry On Wayward Son Requiem (Carry On Requiem)

Stand Ability: Manipulate the soul of the world. Restless souls will automatically be resurrected from the dead with bodies made from dirt.

Design: A stain glass humanoid projecting light upon all its user desires.

Destructive power: None

Speed: None

Range: None

Durability: None

Precision: None

Development Potential: None

Okuyasu

The sounds of police sirens were inaudible amongst the heavy sound of wind rushing past us. The car had long since reached its top speed but his foot was still stuck on the gas pedal.

We were collectively thrown to the right side of the car as Josuke made a sharp turn around an oncoming car. We were thrown to the other side as he swerved back into his lane.

"Yukako!" He shouted without taking his eyes off the road. "Right here," she replied looking up from her phone. As he turned I unlocked my door and leaned out. I summoned my stand and slashed open the wall of the cafe. Jolyne on the other side of the car ripped the destabilized wall open allowing for the car to skid through the bricks. Josuke slammed his foot on the brakes and turned the wheel as far as it would go.

We donated around the table of a surprised and confused boy. Before he could react he was slammed with a faceful of hair lifting him off the ground. Without stopping once Josuke turned the wheel back and hit the gas soaring out of the restaurant well a white-haired boy was carefully assimilated into the vehicle.

The roof of the car was dented as bricks kicked up by the wheels fell onto the car. On top of that, the car began to bounce like we had a bad tire. "Damn," cursed Josuke, "I just got this car". He punched the roof back. A pink aura surrounded it repairing the damage.

He opened the window sticking his hand. "Crazy Diamond!" As he said it, his arm was bent backward by a flying brick. Crazy Diamond's arm extended from his. He reached out further extending his range until he was able to touch the broken tire. The car stopped bouncing around as he jerked his arm back inside the window.

He had already repaired everyone here. He had used his power on my arm so it should be coming back as we speak, it was just taking a while to get here.

"Are we missing anyone else?" Asked Josuke. Jolyne had taken a shotgun while Yukako, Koichi, and I were all packed into the back seat. Koichi was healed by one of Crazy Diamond's arms of any damage. Jolyne was silent for a minute before responding. "That should be everyone." She turned around to look Koichi in the eyes. The tall man was still in shock from the Lamborghini breaking through a brick wall and kidnapping him with hair.

"Are you sure we have an ally in Italy." He blinked a few times before snapping out of the trance. "All I can tell you for sure is that there is someone who can help us in Italy if we're able to find them. However, they could be dangerous in their own way."

"What do you mean by that Koichi? Are they a friend of my dad's or not?" Koichi gave the question an awkward pause while he rubbed the back of his head. "They are not a friend of Jotaro, in fact, I suspect they might be what you call enemies."

Josuke began to grit his teeth. "An enemy!" Koichi returned his gaze to the front of the car. "It's just a guess, they would have to be after Jotaro's actions."

There was another awkward silence. I looked around the car to see everyone's eyes watching Jolyne. Joyne herself stared out the front window before letting out a heavy sigh. I could feel the pain in her voice as she asked the question on everyone's minds. "What did Jotaro do?"

Koichi gave a moment of thought to the question before he responded. "I don't have very many details about the whole thing. I couldn't tell you why he did it if I wanted to but I should probably tell you what he did so you are prepared." Yukako clasped Koichi's hand and gave him a nod. "The man we are going to see is called Giorno Giovanna. In familial terms, he's Josuke's Great Uncle and Jolyne's Great Great Great Uncle. He killed this man's father on a trip to Egypt in 1988."

Everyone was quiet for a time before Josuke made an offhand comment. "I remember that year, it was when I got my stand. I was dangerously sick with an unexplainable disease that no one could identify." No one knew how to respond to his remark. "I'm just saying, it's a hell of a coincidence."

Persephone

I couldn't help but let out an awe-inspiring laugh. Months, years of work were finally being paid off. I bent backward practically screaming my joy into the air. As I laughed an idea came to me. I leaned down and picked up an item off the floor, a strange golden contraption.

Inside the object was a photo of Jotaro and a woman I hadn't seen before. I pushed it aside to reveal the object beneath. It was a small arrowhead. I could feel strange energy around it, weaker than the one I had. I had a strong sense this would be powerful.

I smiled and gripped it in my hand. The arrow began to shake violently as my hand approached it. It stopped with the clink. With the arrow's identity and fate rewritten, I pulled back my arm and tossed the arrow as far as I could.

It flew into traffic and landed on the roof off a car driving away. With a chuckle, I began to walk away. As I left the ally something caught my eye. I ran my hand across the machine with another smile spreading across my face. As my stand's hand followed the ATM began to vibrate for a second.

A ding came from within the machine. I put my pin into the machine to check the account's balance. Sure enough, all money was being poured into my account. The numbers were moving as fast as the machine could handle. I slapped the machine and let out another hardy laugh.

Now the world wasn't screwing me over it suddenly seemed like a much better place to live. I began to look around to see if I could find either of the people this was for. Hands began to manifest out of the soil, but neither of the ones I was looking for.

I had no reason to want to bring these random people back to life. I had opened up the gates of hell for my children.

"Persephone!" I felt the joy well up within me as I turned around. I barely had time to form a smile as the boy tackled me. Azriel hugged me tightly.

"You beat them! You won!" I brought him close and hugged him tightly. "Of course I did." I felt something wet drip down my stomach.

I pushed him away slightly to see tears rolling down his face. With a single finger, I wiped the tears away from each eye. "Hey, don't cry. It's okay." I hugged him tightly again. "It's just, I thought I had lost, and it was so cold and…" his words past that were drowned out by sobs. "Shh, it's okay," I stroked his hair slowly.

As he cried into me I looked around. There were lots of lost souls walking around looking for people. Most of their faces meant nothing to me, but I did recognize one.

It was Kira, the sad ghost man. He met my eyes and waved frantically shouting. "I found someone! She was waiting in the church we met before!"

I felt my heart skip a beat. I had brought what I could find of her with me, had she actually come back.

I kissed Azriel on the head and pushed him away to make my way towards Kira. Out from behind him stepped a rough-looking girl. She looked a lot worse than the last time we met. Her eyes met mine but she made no movement.

She just stood there with nothing but emptiness in her eyes. I watched for what felt like forever as she looked up at me. And with a soft, barely audible voice only a mother could hear, "mother."

I couldn't hold it back anymore. I teared up and ran towards her holding her in a long embrace.

Memories raced through my head. I was supposed to meet her at the airport in Italy, but all I had found was a body, a pursuer on the run. I had brought her back the best I could but after she insisted on chasing that man to Florida I wasn't able to find her spirit, it's like it was gone.

She didn't move an inch when I wrapped myself around, I just stared into the distance like a broken puppy. I hugged her as tight as I could. Tears streamed down my face onto her.


	19. Joestar Family Curse

Stand Name: Hermit Purple

Stand Ability: Can create spirit photos to locate enemies. The stand's vine-like design also allows its user to swing between rooftops. Amplifies hamon.

Design: A purple vine that wraps around its user's body.

Destructive power: D

Speed: C

Range: D

Durability: A

Precision: D

Development Potential: E

The world had been pulled out from under me just a moment ago, but there I stood, alive and well. He couldn't help but let out a hardy laugh. "Hahaha!" I had always known I would live forever.

I looked around. The amount of white in the room hurt my eyes. It was a hospital room with all the stops. Uncomfortable bed, gifts scattered around the room, window with a poor view onto the street below, and an IV flatlined with wires attached to the bed.

"A hospital, what am I doing here?" The door swung open, on the other side an astonished doctor stared at me speechless. Click.

"Hey, you! What am I doing in this hospital! And what's with all this white, it's hurting my eyes!" I covered my left eye with my hand. The doctor began to try to respond. "Y-y-you're…"

"Huhhh! What was that! Speak clearly now!" I leaned in close and raised my hand to my ear. He just kept stammering.

I walked up to a mirror to check my face. Maybe something was wrong with it. However, the mirror just reflected the same handsome young face I had always had.

I turned my back to him and my attention to the gifts left on the side table.

"Hey, old man! Can I take this!" I pointed towards the gifts and turned to see his response. He let out a shaky nod.

The first thing was a framed picture.

"Who is this handsome devil?" I asked fully aware it was myself surrounded by people in attendance at my fake funeral. "This frame cuts off the picture, I'd better take it out of here!"

"Y-y-y".

I pocketed the picture and moved onto the next gift, an ornate box of chocolates.

"No way, these things are gross!" I peeled open the box and dropped them down my throat all at once. I ate each one, but none of them seemed to fill me up.

"Man these really are bad!" I laughed. I bet people must've really hated this guy.

With a smirk, I tossed the dozens of flower bouquets over my shoulder.

"What's with all these flowers, they're stinking up the room!"

I stopped as I reached the bottom of the pile of roses. At the bottom sat a small red broach. My hand instinctively reached for my throat, but nothing was there.

"Hey old man!" I turned around again.

"What idiot brought a dumb thing like this?" I held it up so that the light reflected off of it. The man looked terrified as if he had seen a ghost.

"S-s-sir?"

I noticed a teardrop through the shiny red reflection. I gripped the red crystal tightly and brought it close to me.

"What is this?" I wiped the tear from my cheek.

"I need to leave!" I shoved the crystal in my pocket and made my way towards the door.

"I c-can't let you…"

"Oh!" I interrupted him.

"Is that a coherent sentence from Dr. Stutter Ph.D.! I'd like to see you stop me." I lifted the small man up by his shirt so we met face to face. His clipboard hit the ground while he shook.

"S-sir please…" I laughed a bit.

"Alright shorty, I'll wait here." He let out a heavy sigh.

"I-I'll is r-right b-back, s-so don't go anywhere, p-please!" He closed the door followed by a locking sound behind him.

I couldn't believe this, he just trusted me to stay in this room.

I kicked open the window with a smirk. One thing was for sure, I wasn't going to hang around here for any longer. I concentrated and felt something creep up my arm. I shivered, waving it about.

"Get off!" As I shook it a purple vine crept off of it and wrapped around a ledge above the window directly in my line of sight. I fell down backward. I opened my eyes to see a purple vine wrapped around my arm stretching to where the vine earlier had attached to. I took a deep breath and ran a surge of hamon through it.

It crackled seemingly empowered by the energy. I took a deep breath and let out a laugh.

I pulled the vine tight. I started a swift dash and jumped from the window. I swung from the window anchored by the vine and as I reached the maximum length of my swing I threw my free arm forward so that it wrapped around another ledge.

I prepared to sail forward again but just felt my arms pulled tight in both directions. I looked back to see the vine from earlier didn't disappear, I was hung between two buildings.

"OH NO!" I couldn't move.

I looked down to see nurses, doctors, visitors, and patients running around in a panic. It didn't seem like I had been noticed yet, but I was high up if I fell I would definitely break a bone.

My eyes shifted between the vines on my arms, but slowly they focused on the arm again. Both of my arms were fine, that wasn't right. I felt like that wasn't right. Something was off here. My left arm was prosthetic, wasn't it?

My left arm had been cut off by something. My eyes drifted to my pocket where the red stone sat. Was that mine?

Why was it in the hospital room, unless… Was that my hospital room? "Stupid," I let out nervously. "There's no way that could be…" I stopped as my left hand peeled away and crumbled into dirt.

I stared speechless as I swung back with my previous vine.

I looked around in a panic. "Granny Erina, Speedwagon, Smokey, Caesar?" I let out as my second vine disappeared. Where had they gone? Where had I been?

I felt like everything was blurry until I had woken up just a while ago. Why had I been in the hospital? I felt like I was missing something important.

But what worried me, even more, was that I knew I was still missing people. How many had I forgotten? I felt like I had lost control of the plane about to crash, a surprisingly relatable sensation. There was no pillow to hold onto this time, just freefall all the way to the bottom.

My hand reached into my pocket and removed the red stone.

It reflected the light into my eyes causing it to squint. I stared into its mysterious current for uncountable seconds.

Eventually, my eyes broke away from it. My hands flew to my cheeks. "Oh shit!" People stopped to stare at my eccentric panic. "I have a wife!"

I heard a chuckle escape from a passing woman on her phone. "You there!" I pointed at the amused bystander. She stopped laughing as I singled her out. "Give me your phone, I need to call my wife. I took her phone without much trouble, she was surprisingly weak.

I looked it up and down.

"There isn't a keyboard, how are you supposed to use this thing?"

"Wait you can't just…" She began to protest. She tried to grab it out of my hands but I raised it out of her reach. "OH WOW! This thing responds to my touch! You must be rich lady!"

She turned to the crowd.

"Don't just stand there! Somebody call the cops!" I tapped away at the screen. With a bright flash, it took a picture of my face.

"Yowch!" I called out.

"How do you call someone?" I think I used one of these once but I can't place where.

"I think I just have to touch this green thing and put in a number. What was her number again? 44, something, something?" I began putting in random numbers that I knew, one of them had to work.

"Hello is this Suzie Q? Who? No! Actually… No!" Wrong number. "Next number. Is this Suzie Q? What do you mean I didn't hang up the first time! Oh well. Do you sell…, Actually I shouldn't, goodbye." I hung up for real this time.

"These things aren't that hard to use," I commented bragging to those without the phone around me.

"RING RING RING!" I got a call at that moment.

"Hello, who is this? Free flight insurance! I'd be dumb not to sign up for it, what's that you need my credit card. What's that? Uh huh-uh huh… Can you wait for a moment, I'll check.

I reached over to this lady and dug through her purse. "You got a credit card lady?" She tried to pull her purse away but the jerk put her wallet into my hands.

Quick as a cat a withdrew my hand from her purse and dug through her cards until I found a credit card.

"Yeah, the number is…" I squinted at the letters but read them off. I leaned into the lady.

"Can you believe this, this guy is giving you free flight insurance?"

"No cancel the order, that's not me, he doesn't have the authority!" She shouted.

"Trust me, lady, you wouldn't believe how often planes crash. You're gonna be lucky I got this for you." I patted her on the shoulder condescendingly. "Lucky!" she was clearly angry.

I threw the credit card over my shoulder and hung up the call. I put in the next number I could think of.

"Hello! Is this Suzie Q? You'll get her? Yes, I can hold!" "Give it back!" She screeched in my ear.

The cop appeared just as I was rubbing the new throbbing in my earlobe away.

"What exactly is going on here?" He flinched as I turned to show him my missing arm. The woman opened her mouth, but I was too quick for her.

"Officer, thank god you're here! This woman is trying to take my phone and wallet! She's convinced it's hers! Please help me!"

He raised an eyebrow at the scene before him but said nothing right away. With a slow sigh, he turned towards the lady.

"Is that so?" "No! Officer, he walked right up and stole my stuff like a thief! Arrest him!"

"Look at her office, she's clearly crazy." I pointed to her face now unnaturally contorted with rage.

"WHAT!"

Her hysteria wasn't helping her case. I raised the phone to my ear again to check the progress.

"How's it going? Oh, she's busy, no I can hold a bit longer."

"Is that your phone?" Asked the officer. I nodded.

"Here!" I pressed the big button at the bottom of the screen to show off the wallpaper.

It was good I had prepared for this situation. I had set the wallpaper while making a big deal about how I was bad with it earlier. I had set the wallpaper to the picture of my face I had taken earlier. The woman stared dumbfounded.

"N-no it was... He must have changed it!" The officer nodded.

"Do you have anything else you could show me?"

"He has my wallet, just have him pull the Id out or something. I pocketed the phone and pulled out the woman's wallet.

I snuck a peek at the woman's face as she snickered. It seems she thought she had cornered me.

"Your next line is 'what now you little punk'!" I shoved a finger right in her face.

"What now you little punk!" She was confident for a second before she processed what I had just said. With the smarmiest smile I could manifest, I flashed her ID, except it had my handsome face.

"You've seen everything you need?" He nodded and turned to the broken woman.

"This is my wallet lady. I don't know what to tell you. The crowd around me began to whisper amongst themselves. It was clear this didn't seem right to them but it was none of their business.

The woman's face contorted into a rage again and she swung at me.

"Oh?" I said stroking my hair.

She had missed, obviously. "Where are you punching? If you're not careful you'll end up with a face full of…" I stopped to look around but didn't see anything traditional to fall into like fruit or birds. I did, however, have a flash of inspiration.

"If you're not careful you'll end up with a face full of electrical wiring!" I was now pointing to the wiring over her head.

She was taken aback for a moment but swung another fist at me again.

"OH NO!" I put a lot of feeling into the line just for the cop.

The woman, of course, began to choke on the electrical wire that somehow just made its way into her throat. Once the choking sounds stopped the crackling of electricity became audible.

"Officer! Help this poor woman!"

His tone went from boredom to stunned surprise.

"How did-what in-did you?" He tried to get out. I bent backward and placed a hand over my heart.

"Officer, you haven't heard about the dangerous falling electrical wire here! It's really dangerous, you should get some people to look into it." I pointed at the snapped electrical wire overhead, out of my reach.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head.

In a panic, he flipped the woman upside down and began to pump her trying to get the wire out of her mouth without touching it.

I began to walk away.

"Oh uh sir, you should probably update the photo there, it looks out of date." I snickered that couldn't be right, earlier the picture of me in the photo had matched the mirror earlier, there's no reason that it should change now.

I checked the phone, "Oh Suzie! Sorry to make you wait! There was just some confused woman trying to take my phone. Credit Card? I might need one…"

I stepped on something, it was a credit card!

"Nice! I found a credit card on the ground, someone must have dropped it!"

"What was that! Josuke, Shizuna? Kids!? When…" Suzie Q kept talking my ear off but I had lost the ability to hear.

How much time had I lost? My arm was gone! I walked towards a mirror and met my reflection. The handsome face from earlier was gone. In its place, grey hair and wrinkles. The smile from before had become a permanent frown.

And like the chiming of a clock, a thought crept into my mind. Am I dying?

I stepped backward and gripped my flabby skin. My hair had lost all of its youthful vigor. My hamon hadn't done anything to help me, maybe I should have worked harder. I had wasted my time on such a trivial task as messing with that woman.

I looked at the photo I had stuck on the woman's ID. That used to be me. How much longer did I have? Was I going to get older?

I needed to do something with what I had left. I pulled out the red gemstone from earlier and wrapped my hand around it. I felt there was so much I needed to do. I could spend time with my son while I could move.

Or… I looked down at the stone. So many mixed feelings flooded me.

I might have a chance to say goodbye to my best friend. I could even return the stone to him.

"Suzie, do you think you could book me a flight, I want to visit someone?" her response echoed in my head

"As long your up can you go check on Josuke? Jolyne told me that they might be in some trouble the other day and I haven't been able to get a hold of them since then?"

Damn it.

I was finally able to say goodbye, it wouldn't have taken long. I didn't need any fancy ink spaghetti to convey my feelings. This would be the only chance I would ever get.

"You know me, Suzie! My family needs me, I can be anywhere in the world in under 24 hours! What! Of course, I'm doing alright!" I let out a chuckle but noticed something strange in the mirror.

A tear was falling down my face. Damn thing came back again. They couldn't learn to leave me to my grieving in peace. I forced a sharp inhale and wiped the tears from my face.

Ceaser can wait, he'll still be here when this is all over. Somehow, I knew he wouldn't.

Stupid plans never work out, do they? I pulled the credit card I had worked to get out of the women's wallet and dropped it. I guess this was pointless to carry with me now.

"Just tell me what flight I need to catch!"


	20. Stairway to Heaven Part 1

Jolyne

I tapped my foot in frustration. I had been stuck in this penthouse for longer than I would like. The whole room was beginning to seem cramped. The sooner I could be done with the crazy lady attacking me, the sooner Jotaro and I could go home.

I ran my hand over the cover of Jotaro's journal. I flipped it between my palms. Despite my best attempts, I had not been able to find anything in the journal about where he had hidden the arrow. I still had the compass in my pocket, but I wasn't sure what I should do. It was a good luck charm, but a dangerous one to keep on my person. Eventually, I was able to bring my gaze up to Jotaro.

Every time I brought myself to look I began to regret it. All my life I had seen him as a great warrior forged in fire. The way he would stand over me and mother, it made me feel safe. I had a lot of time to think about him and about us recently. I think I had figured out why I was so mad at him. I was angry because he left, but I was angry because I loved him. For better or worse he was my father and the only one I had. His injury had given me the chance to think about this and I had been able to meet my uncle. I had learned more about my father on a trip than he had ever told me himself. I loved him, and I would protect him to my last breath. I know he would do the same for me.

I felt my face tense a small tear rolled down my cheek. I sniffed a bit to clear up my stuffy nose. It had been a while since I really considered what could happen. If he wasn't able to recover I would never get to talk to him again. I wouldn't be able to tell him about my stand. When I was little I would drone one to him for hours about my life. I always assumed he had hated it because he never said anything. But I think I understand a bit. He must have enjoyed it because he never stopped me. In fact, I barely ever saw him speaking. Maybe he had problems expressing himself. I wiped the lone tear from my face and stood up.

I walked out of the room. Suddenly I felt one of the wires I had placed in front of the elevator earlier snap. Someone had crossed it. I was being attacked. "Stone Free!" I shouted calling the stand out from within me. In an instant, it was providing a shield for me while I assessed the area. I was caught off guard at the cry of "Carry On" from behind me. I panicked and turned around calling Stone Free to defend me. The stand rushed towards its opponent blocking a massive punch. However, instead of recoiling Carry On moved in further and grappled Stone Free to the ground. I took a step back as Persephone ran at pulling something from her pocket. I panicked as the sound of a gunshot bounced around the room and almost instinctively my body shut down. I couldn't move. My breath became heavy as she gloatingly walked past me. "Now where did you hide that arrow?".

Stand Name: You're On Fire

Stand Ability: The stand shifts the nature of an individual's reality based on what they believe to be true. In order to do this the stand must attach itself to the target, and the target must trust the user to tell the truth. If the target knows the user is lying the ability does not work and every change the stand has caused to the target's reality is negated.

Design: The stand appears to be a flying brain with spaghetti tentacles Spreading out from it.

Destructive power: E

Speed: E

Range: A

Durability: C

Precision: A

Development Potential: E

Yukako

My legs had been shot. I felt a cold substance leak out. The substance was unrecognizable as my own life force. I could no longer feel anything from my legs. Tears of rage streamed down my face. I felt ashamed I had let it come to this. I felt awful for my personal failure. "Agh!" I screamed in frustration. My hair rapidly grew to expand out and encompassing the terrain. The man's face quickly shifted from understanding to surprise as his every escape was cut off. As the hair boxed us in, "You're on fire!". A strange, alien stand with wrinkles covering every inch of its small brain-like body. Spaghetti stretched from each fold outward into the horizons of my eyes. A pair of eyes belonging to a creature that I could not place stared into me. Reality wrinkled around each tendril filling me with anxiety. He took a deep breath and posed, hanging with one elbow off of a strand.

With a swift flip of my head, the hair closed around the stand. It was being strangled. Its strands were tightened. They disappeared beneath a sea of hair. The stand swam against the current. He gasped for breath. I watched as the waves beat down on him, slowly running out of air. Suddenly I noticed something. In his hand, he had grasped a small box. Diamonds formed a pattern. I intensified my assault. The hair became a whirlpool sucking him into a spiral of scent draining his lungs of all remaining breath. I was going to kill him. If I could, his stand would disappear, and Koichi would be free. The storm shook the stand like a washing machine. It would disappear soon, and I would be free. He tore through the hair with desperation, grasping. His every handful of hair he drifted deeper into the inescapable abyss.

Out of nowhere, a hand grasped my wrist. I looked down to see a hand on my numb legs, and the other on my wrist. I tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't come off. "I will not give up on my dream," he said through desperate breaths. I heard the faint sound of sirens through my wall. I needed to end this quickly if I wanted to keep others out of it. He climbed up my limp legs as my hair tried to pull him away. He tore away at my skin leaving red marks near all the bullet wounds. "Noo!" I shouted, forcing myself away from him.

"I have to help her, I need to see her one last time." His eyes had glazed over. He seemed to be operating on a single thought. He was obsessed. I stared into the blanks pits. His eyes were like mirrors. Who was this she he had referred to?". Was she Koichi? Had she torn him away from himself? Had he devoted himself to her? Was he me? The thought scared me. I had always been proud to stand out from the others. I wasn't normal, and even if my thoughts sometimes drifted, that wasn't who I was. Besides, I wouldn't have met Koichi if I was normal. Still, I knew what had to be done. His resolve just reminded me even more of what's at stake. Everyone's fighting for their happy ending, and even if my path strays from his, it will put my love in a safer world. My vision rapidly shifted up and down. It was as if someone was pushing my head into the concrete over and over again, however, I was unable to feel any pain.

I drew a breath of solitude. As he kept pushing my head back. Eventually, he stopped. His hands reached for my neck. My hair began to change. It became jagged and dangerous. In a second I had skewered his stomach with my hair. In two I had slammed him to the concrete. In the third, I raised my hair and brought it down onto him.

I felt each bone in his body break as I brought my rage down onto him. But I wasn't going to mess around. I wasn't a kid anymore. I raised my hair off of him and bunched it up into a massive ball. The light warmed my skin as I continued to slam it until he was nothing but a puddle of flesh and blood. The sirens got closer and closer until I felt someone touching my shoulder. I felt my skin crawl as I was pulled away from him. I registered something being read to me but my mind was still focused on the battle. He would never escape alive. I jerked out of their grip. The people and noise blended around me into a spiral. I crawled towards him again and raised my hair to slam it into him again. Again. And again. He would disappear, and Koichi would be safe.

I felt a rough arm grab me. Before I could stop them I was in someone's arms. I was being kidnapped. I watched the sidewalk run by. It seemed to have a red trail on it. That was weird, I don't think it had that before. They seemed to be frantically asking me something. I slowly looked up to see Okuyasu. He was one of Koichi's friends. Something as wrong though. I looked him up and down. His mouth was moving a lot, but I couldn't hear a word. The hand was pulling us forward every few seconds. My lips could only enunciate a single thought. Only one word would escape my mind. Only one would word plagued my thoughts. The enemy was dead. And he was safe.

Josuke

I had to hurry up if I was going to be on time to meet up with Jolyne and Okuyasu. Okuyasu had texted me before he left reminding me to go. It was strange, I didn't remember getting a message from her, but I suppose it just didn't go through. I had slept in, so I barely had time to take a shower and grab something small for breakfast. I jogged my way through crowded streets to the hotel. I took a short break from the exercise before heading inside.

Before I could open the door, I heard laughter from around the hotel's corner. My head turned to see a man standing there. Aside from a black eye, he looked vaguely familiar. He smirked and pulled out a handgun. "Remember me?" The tone of his voice made it seem like I should. I squinted for a bit at him. "No." His tired face contorted in rage as he pulled the trigger. Without a second of hesitation, Crazy Diamond deflected the bullet with a single punch. With its other arm, it punched the man into the ground. The concrete had cracked from the punch leaving the man's blood seeping in the cracks. With the hand it deflected the bullet it leaned down and healed him, simply leaving him unconscious from the pain. I leaned down and took the gun from him, throwing it into the bushes a fair walk away. Then after propping him up against the wall, I headed inside.

I hurried to the elevator and mashed the button for the top floor. With a ding, I arrived. I took a long step out of the elevator but tripped on something. My nose hit the floor with a painful thud. I turned to see a thin broken tripwire in front of the elevator. From the other room, I heard a panicked scream. "Stone Free!" I stood up and watched the other room carefully as her stand glided in. She seemed to be looking for something. Just then I heard another scream. "Carry On!" I stood up. If I didn't hurry Jolyne could be in trouble. Just then a gunshot echoed throughout the room as Jolyne hit the floor with a nullifying thud.

"No!" I cried calling out Crazy Diamond. Its arms flailed around trying to get her away from Jolyne. "Doradoradora!" it rumbled throwing loose chunks of architecture around the room in a frenzy until a cloud of dust obscured us. I slid to her and checked for the bullet wound, but the dust made it hard to see. "Are you okay?" I asked with panic in my voice. She gritted her teeth and stood up. "I'm fine." Her voice was filled with anger. I raised my hands and removed the bullet from her torso. As if she was an actor in a stage play in the queue she flew past me. She cried loudly, a sound of pain only eclipsed by the crack that accompanied it. Her body contorted as she slammed against the wall behind me. Like adding insult to injury she slowly peeled from the wall and dove headfirst onto the floor. "Crazy Diamond!" I shouted as the stand began to rush its way up the powerful stand. "DORADORADORA!" the stand cried. The terrible mound of earth and sand was pushed backward. "DORA!" My stand let out a below slamming its arms into its torso. The stand was pushed back. A small crack crept across its chest.

The user coughed and spit at their feet for a few seconds recovering. I wouldn't let her. Without a moment of hesitation, I continued. "DORADORA!" The stand was forced to attend. "DORADORADORADORA!" The stands guard was thrown off. They were now defenseless. "DORADORADORADORADORADORADORADORA!" The stand was thrown into the roof. With an unceremonious oof, it bounced after half a second and collapsed back to the ground. "DORA!" Before it had any time. I attacked. "DORA!" The stand had no chance to defend itself. I tore it apart. The user was thrown around by the force of my punches. Up and down, left and right. BANG! Somehow during the barrage, she was able to fire the bullet I had returned earlier. A small string of blood fell from my shoulder.

I grimaced as the pain made itself apparent. Still, this was nothing compared to her wounds. She had pushed through her bullet wound. "You think I need two hands to beat the shit out of you?" Her hidden cocky smile faded as Crazy Diamond pulled back its other arm. Like a machine gun, I tore away at her again. "DORA!" She flew back. "DORA!" She flew up. The window cracked. "DORA" The window broke.

"We have it!" There was an excited cry from the other room. I turned to see the doctor standing over Jotaro with blood covering his hands. In his bloody grip was an arrow, although the exact details of its appearance were currently unclear. "Catch, he said." Sure enough, the small man tossed the arrow in an arch overhead. It landed between us. She crouched down and looked up at me with blood running from her mouth.


	21. Stairway to Heaven Part 2

p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background-color: transparent;"Aldo first met his wife at the age of nineteen. On any day off they had he would take her on a picnic. They'd eat for about half an hour before they lied back on the picnic blanket and watched the clouds./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" It was under a certain cloud three years later they were married. It wasn't special but Aldo always remembered the heart cloud because it seemed romantic to him./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"At the age of twenty-two, he married his wife, Faith. They lived together for years happily. Every morning she would kiss him off to work. Every night before dinner they would say grace./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"They even had a child together. They had ended up with a second one after adopting the daughter of a dead friend of his. The days he got a child were the happiest days of Aldo's life. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"His job took him all over the world, he would appraise works of art and because of this, he didn't bat an eye when he was handed a golden arrow decorated with an ornate pattern. He had brought it home to study the craftsmanship and somehow his kids had cut themselves on it when he wasn't examining it./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Soon after that they contracted an unidentifiable illness and died. Their deaths tore him apart and took him, it was his fault./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The nurse, a middle-aged woman wearing a black veil out of respect, had come out of the operating room with a solemn face that he would never forget./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"After their deaths, Aldo threw himself very deeply into religion. He prayed to God every night for his children to be taken care of on the other side./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Their marriage had lost its spark, but they still cared for each other. At least, that's how Aldo saw it./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"At the age of 41, three hours before the plane took off he arrived home early from work to surprise Faith. What he found shocked him./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She had gotten drunk and invited dozens of people he didn't know into their home to perform occult rituals./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The idea of people performing satanic rituals had always seemed like a children's fantasy to him. In truth, it wasn't because she believed in any great evil, but because of hatred. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"She resented God for taking away her children. She resented Aldo for worshipping such a terrible god. She resented herself for falling for such a weak man. And she resented her parents for giving birth to her. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"To her, it was as if he had never loved the children, but wanted to fulfill the conservative dream of a wife, two children, and a white picket fence./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" She wanted to lash out, and the occult seemed like the easiest way to this./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Aldo kicked the Satanists out of his house and began to argue with his wife. She eventually made to leave the house but was stopped by Aldo./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" In a fit of anger, he threw her to the floor only to be met with a knife to the eye./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" She escaped as he rolled around on the ground. In pain and frustration, he destroyed his kitchen./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" He felt something empty inside of him like he had lost something. Only one course of action made sense to him. He would chase her. He would follow her and confront her. He would ask her why. And if the need arose, he would pray for her salvation./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" He grabbed his work suitcase and napkins from the counter to stop the blood./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true".../span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Where the fuck is my friend!" Said the man with a large pompadour. Behind him, a tall woman with black hair grabbed him with her hair and slammed him down again./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" "Stairway to Heaven!" Aldo shouted, releasing a large ball of light that he had been building up./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" The light flashed and in a matter of seconds the plane was gone, and its place stood a black fairy tale forest./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" Josuke summoned Crazy Diamond. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The mirage had made it impossible to see anyone, even the passengers of the flight disappeared./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke looked around frantically trying to figure out where he went. He took a step only to feel a sharp pain on his foot./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He frantically raised it. As he did he noticed a slight shimmer beyond the veil of the trees. Fearing what was coming he dove to the side. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"It wasn't quick enough. A deep red beam of light bent down a tree and up to him cleaving a slab of flesh from his arm./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He gripped the black wound before blood could rush out./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The path the beam had taken slowly began to disappear until there was nothing but the sky below. The hole created a vortex of air drawing him into it./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Crazy Diamond!" In an instant, the hole had repaired itself and the area was normal again. Without the illusion the man became visible./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Aldo was pressed against the wall with his cloaked stand in front of him with a small ball of light in its hands. The man's eyes were becoming red from the repeated exposure to his stand's light./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORA!" Josuke jumped forward. He seized the moment without hesitation. The ball of light fell as the stand's right hand performed a two-hundred and seventy-degree turn./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORADORA!"/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""SNAP!" The stand's arm cracked above the hand and below the shoulder./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORADORADORA!"/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""CRACK!" The stand dissipated. In its place, its user was locked in place by Josuke's foot as Crazy Diamond kicked in both of his legs at once. Aldo sharply began to fall without the support of his legs./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORADORADORADORA!" In its place, Crazy Diamond's fists became supports lifting the man off of the ground and sending him into the roof with an immediate barrage of blows./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORADORADORADORADORADORADORA!" Without anyone to stop him his barrage revved like an engine. He rammed his fists into Aldo with all the ferocity of killing machines./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""CRACK!" The final barrage sent him soaring through the roof into the clouds above./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORA!" In one final bout of rage, Crazy Diamond punched the wall of the plane denting it./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Stand Name/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": Stairway to Heaven Act 2/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Stand Ability/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The stand bleeds a very reflective chromatic liquid from its eyes in heavy amounts. The stand can control the composition of this liquid and push it across a surface at will. The liquid reflects light to perfectly create whatever visual illusion the stand desires to see. By using Act One's ball of light on the liquid created by Act Two, the light is trapped inside the fluid reflecting back and forth until it creates a superheated liquid as hot as the sun./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Design/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": Where once the stand was cloaked in shadow, the stand radiates light. Its face is revealed to be that of a skeletal goat. The hood has blown off revealing a pair of spiraled horns. Its cloak gives of faint light and now glows a deep wine red./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"After the fluid is used it begins to slowly leak onto its cloak making it appear like it is on fire the same color as wine. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Stand User: /strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Aldo Goodman/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Destructive power/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": C/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Speed/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": C/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Range/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": B/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Durability/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": E/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Precision/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": B/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Development Potential/strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true": A/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"strong style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"Notes: /strongspan style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The stand evolves during the period in which the user closes their eyes for Act 1, however, the user did not know this until they opened their eyes during the attack. Act 2 is usable only for a few seconds while the light from Act 1 is present. This is because the shadows possessed by Act 1 are part of the stand, by turning its darkness into light the fundamental abilities of the stand have changed. With this evolution, the stand seems to have become independent of its user's will. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"-/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke felt anger swell inside of him. If he had only been quicker to get through the illusions. He kept running into traps and slowing down, but how could he have known that his best friend would die if he didn't hurry up./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Now he was making excuses. He gritted his teeth and stood up. If he could somehow land the plane he might be able to find and save Okuyasu./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He looked around and made his way to the cabin./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He wasn't the only one taking stock of their surroundings. At the same time, Aldo was sent flying into the air. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He closed his eyes to approach the finality. The finality came and left him. He had survived by some random miracle of nature. He still felt the shock of death running through him. The grim reaper hadn't left him but left his business card knowing he would call back. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He opened his eyes to a sea of heavenly clouds and sunlight piercing his frail, bloody form. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The clouds were many shapes but very few made sense. It was only because he tried looking at each cloud individually that they made no sense. But as everything clicked the clouds slowly began to form one great unmistakable shape./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The shape was unmistakably a heart. If the first cloud was a message from God telling him he had found the one, what was this? Was God telling him this was some great plan from the beginning?/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"What kind of twisted god would tell him she was the one knowing that all roads lead here. Was it a message telling him it would all work out fine. As he rapidly descended through the lower layer of the clouds, limbs flailing, blood gushing out his body like a hose, and vision becoming blurry he held the idea that this would work out fine as nonsense./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Even if he were to step off the plane at the next airport in perfect shape without any legal consequences his wife would still be dead./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Was this some twisted joke or was the feeling he had buried for some time really true./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He had sometimes thought too hard about the idea of god. It had always led him to a dark place in the back of his mind that left him with a sense of heart-melting dread./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""There is no god." he chuckled out. "God is a feeling within our hearts, he's a state of being. And to me, this cruel world of dramatic ironies is not something a great creator would ever be satisfied with. God disproves the existence of God. There is no god because no being of infinite benevolence would ever be this cruel."/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"This line of thought brought him to the final question./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Why am I still fighting?" he managed to murmur out loud./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"'I am fighting that man because I don't want to die. This is a simple fight between animals to see the next sunrise. If I hold back, I'll die. No matter what happens I'll die in the end, but I don't want to go yet. I'm afraid to meet my kids. I'm too afraid to see my wife.'/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true" There was no heaven for his sons. There was no hell for him and his wife. How twisted the world was. This was indeed the answer that humans had come to before and unmistakably the only one that made sense to him now at this moment./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He fell rapidly with veins of wind running through his hair. He gripped his suitcase tight. The wind rushed past him as he closed his eyes./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He felt something deep within and with his new realization exploded./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The plane shook and leaned forward. In a moment the plane was rapidly descending./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The light shining through the windows twisted his vision until everything became a mess of melted colors. Slowly a barely discernible image melted into his view./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Below him, the ground had become a slimy, warted piece of flesh stretching into the horizon. The seats had turned into blurry dark wood trees. He cast a glance upwards to a sky of screaming, wrinkled faces. At their bases were bushes in which hundreds of different eyes peered at the sun above./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Each of the eyes slowly watered in pain as they watched a magnificent painted, watercolor sun. The sun spiraled out into the horizon of twisted pain. At the very center of the brightest part of the sun, a shadow was visible./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke felt his pocket buzz. He pulled out his phone and read a text from Jolyne./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"'Need help?'/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke shoved the phone in his pocket for the moment./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"That must be where the stand user was. Josuke anchored himself to the seat with one arm and raised a hand to the ceiling with the other. He felt around before finding a sharp pain. He retracted his hand to see a hole melted in it./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"'Normally I would have felt the ceiling so either I'm somewhere else or it's gone. Assuming he hasn't learned how to teleport me out of nowhere and the ceiling really is gone then he must have melted it as he did with the floor earlier./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke pulled a phone out of his pocket and responded to Jolyne./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"'be prepared to make an emergency landing' A moment later she responded./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"'got it'/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He gave a smirk at his foresight. He had prepared for this earlier. His hand slid down to his pocket below gripping his used napkin from earlier. At the time he had to no idea he had a stand but being prepared came in handy./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Crazy Diamond!" The sun became blurry and began to shake as a small shadow flew towards him./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Dora!" Crazy Diamond reached out and grabbed the shadow by the suitcase./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"With a single swift motion, the stand pulled it back towards Josuke ripping it out of his hands and onto a slowly melting floor. The suitcase popped half-open as it hit the floor./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORA!" Crazy Diamond punched the shadow creating a snapping sound as if a bone somewhere bent in a way it shouldn't./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"It was ironic. If he had just let go of the briefcase he would have survived. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""DORADORA!" Crazy Diamond's back hand flew forward once again smashing another bone in the man's body. While this was going on the forward hand had flown back and in tandem with the cracking flew forward creating a perfectly timed killing barrage./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Everything began to slowly wash away as he blinked. The water in his eye seemed to melt the paint like illusions of the enemy stand./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Before Josuke could celebrate the floor gave way sending him hurdling downwards helplessly. He turned his attention to the briefcase which flew open from the wind pressure. All the usual artistic tools flew out, the half of a napkin he had snuck in earlier, and something else./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The light caught the stand arrow at just the right angle as it flew from the suitcase. A stand arrow. Josuke's expression became panicked./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"'He must have found it outside the airport and cut himself on it. Once he learned it gave him powers he didn't want anyone else to get it and hid it in the suitcase. But I didn't see it earlier when his suitcase spilled,' Josuke thought to himself./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He couldn't focus on that now, he was falling. He looked around desperately./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Josuke!" He heard Jolyne's voice from above turning his attention. She had tried to throw a rope she had made down but it didn't work./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Jolyne!" He called back over the harsh winds. Reaching out to the rope, but it was too far away. Feeling the ground approaching fast he racked his brain for another solution. Then, it came to him!/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Crazy Diamond!" Josuke grasped his pocket again. His fall slowed to a crawl as he reached out for the scrap of napkin far above. He couldn't pull it to him or he would certainly die, but at the same time if he didn't pull hard enough he would also die./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He slowly floated up to the napkin by the napkin in his own hand. It wasn't long before he grabbed onto Jolyne's rope./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The ground was only twenty meters below which meant there was no way a parachute was going to work here, they couldn't slow down fast enough./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"His arm strained As the rope stretched. Jolyne, Yukako, and Koichi had grabbed onto the rope./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke felt a moment of strained relief before he heard a terrifying sound. He looked up to see the mostly dissolved plane crashing towards the town below./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke cringed as the plane fell on him. In a stroke of incredible luck, the plane simply passed around him. He had been lucky enough to pass through the large holes in the plane./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The plane crashed into the buildings below destroying rows of houses probably killing dozens if not hundreds. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Suddenly he began to fall. He stared in horror at the whole napkin in his hand. He only had a second to panic before he bounced off of the net and fell to the ground with a thud. He lay on the ground as his pocket buzzed./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke checked his phone. He had missed a message from Jolyne. 'There's a net, don't worry about falling', she must have sent it while the plane was falling. "We're on the other side of the plane, we'll come around to meet you"./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke sighed and fell back against the remains of a red door. He took a deep breath until his eye saw it. A pile of corpses behind the wall, probably a family./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"In front of them was a familiar glint sitting on the ground. A bloody hand wrapped around it. Josuke panicked as he saw the barely recognizable remains of the stand user from the plane. He somehow wasn't dead./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The clothes he had worn earlier had become stained with blood and punctured by broken bones. /span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""It's not over yet…" he gasped out with a pained expression./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke was too tired to move any further without a rest but he welled with anger nonetheless./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""Why is this arrow so important to you. What could be worth this!"/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The man gave him a tired look as he slowly bled out on the floor./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""I can't let anyone else suffer the same fate as my kids. I need to destroy this. My children were cut on the arrow and ended up dying because of it. I got rid of the one I had at the time, but when I saw this arrow at the airport just as I spilled my suitcase I knew it wasn't over. My kids'll never be able to rest until these arrows are gone!"/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"The man raised the arrow high and slammed it to the ground. Sirens went off in the ground as first responders began to find survivors of the crash./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"Josuke met the man's gaze as life slowly left his eyes./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true""It's not over yet. It's not over yet. It's not over. It's…over…"/span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"His hand stopped rising./span/p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="color: #0e101a; background: transparent; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" data-preserver-spaces="true"He was dead./span/p 


	22. Paint it Black Part 1

**Stand Name**: Crazy Diamond

**Stand User:** Josuke Higashikata (human)

**Stand Ability**: Restore objects to their original state.

**Design**: A pink humanoid being with blue heart armor.

**Destructive power**: A

**Speed**: A

**Range**: D

**Durability**: B

**Precision**: B

**Development Potential**: C

Josuke took a short rest to take stock of the area. Calling it chaos would be an understatement.

Upturned cars covering the paved road. Piles of earth mixed together with fragmented glass to create a glinting brown sheet over the road. Gorgeous white buildings now lay in piles of rubble on top of other piles of rubble. Wires hung from long poles like scorched snakes. To his right stretched a long, deep drainage ditch running to the pier some ways away.

Josuke turned his attention to the pile of dead. If Aldo fell from the plane, does that mean another person could have fallen from the plane? He inched closer to examine the bodies for any signs of survival.

Crazy Diamond repaired them too to make them more recognizable. He was caught off guard by a sharp inhale.

Someone was alive! It was a neatly groomed man looking around in a panic. His arms were still clinging to his seatbelt. Josuke looked around to see the cabin he must have been sitting in.

"Mister…" the groomed man asked timidly.

Fourteen! It was Okuyasu's!

"Um, mister…" He tried again.

Josuke began to panic. Was Okuyasu around here somewhere! He stood up and looked around for his friend.

He had to be around here somewhere!

"Mister!" the man practically shouted.

"What!" Josuke shouted.

"Do you have any bandages? I've got an open wound."

Josuke looked at him confused. "An open wound? Are you sure?"

The man held up his hand to reveal a large hole in his hand. It should have healed, why didn't it heal? Josuke thought to himself.

It all clicked as the man began to glow.

'If he was pierced who else could have been!' Josuke panicked.

"Ahh!" The man let out a brief shout.

"What is that?" He pointed behind Josuke.

Josuke turned to meet a stand walking towards them. It seemed to give off a dim light. The whole being was covered in red and white stripes. The stand had cuffed collars, a top hat so large it bent over behind it, two short capes hanging between both arms, and a hole where the heart should have been.

It spread its arms out and walked towards them.

"Stand back!" Josuke shouted as Crazy Diamond emerged from him.

"Ahh!" The man let out another brief shout as the stand made to punch the enemy.

"DORA!" Crazy Diamond punched the survivor in the face.

"Aughh!" The man cried out in pain gripping his face.

"It's another one!" he cried panicking.

Josuke began to panic. His stand shouldn't have done that, what was going on?

The flashy stand slowly continued to approach them.

"Crazy Diamond!" He tried again.

His stand made a move to kick the enemy stand before planting a foot into the survivor's face.

"Owww!" The survivor let out another scream of pain. The man turned to Josuke.

"We need to get out of here!"

Crazy Diamond diamond disappeared at Josuke's command.

He froze for a moment holding up his arms as the enemy stand walked straight past him.

He now knew it wasn't coming for him, but it continued to make its way towards the survivor. He couldn't use Crazy Diamond to attack it, and no other objects could touch it, so what could he do?

Josuke leaned down and picked up a rock off the ground. He tossed the stone lightly behind him.

The stone flew from his hand to the ground in front of him, the direction of the survivor. He was beginning to figure this out.

The stand was only moments away from the survivor now.

"Please Help!" The man's desperation was clear from his voice.

"No." Said Josuke.

"You'll be fine."

"What" the man whispered softly as the stand approached him.

The man had a wound indicating he had been pierced by the arrow, he was able to see Crazy Diamond and the other stand. So he was a stand user. That meant the stand directed other stands attacks to the user.

If used properly his ability could be terrifying. It might even give them an edge over the crazy woman who had forced them to leave Morioh.

Just as he predicted the stand stopped in front of him saying nothing.

Josuke leaned back against the wall and cast a look over to the man from the plane and the arrow in his hands. He had devoted his dying breath to stopping someone else from being pierced by it without ever really knowing what it was.

He must have attacked them on the plane because he assumed they were trying to get it from them, but he still felt like he was missing something here.

Josuke turned to the quivering survivor he had rescued.

"He was lucky that the survivor spoke Japanese or this would be a lot more difficult.

"What's your name?"

"Horitsu." He never broke eye contact with the stand.

"That thing there is you. It's called a stand. They have quite a few uses although yours seems to redirect all attacks towards you. If you use it right you could be a pretty scary opponent."

"A stand?"

"That's right, although its exact name is something you should already know."

The man shared a deep look into his stand's spiraling face before finally speaking.

"When Will You Die? That's my stand's name."

"You should be able to control it with your mind."

The man closed his eyes tight and made a silly face, but the stand did not move.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it." Said Josuke dismissively.

'Buzzzz' Josuke's phone buzzed.

He plucked the mess of broken glass and exposed wires out of his pockets with two fingers.

He repaired it with Crazy Diamond and answered it.

"H…"

"It's Jolyne. We need to meet up somewhere."

"I'll meet you at the pier."

"Are you sure? We could probably meet at a closer landmark."

"I have something I need to take care of. I, Okuyasu, and a new guy will meet you there."

"Got it." She hung up.

Josuke shoved the phone back in his pocket and turned to begin moving.

"Who is…" Horitsu barely began to articulate his thoughts before another plane flew overhead interrupting him.

Then a massive object drew over them casting a dragonic shape onto the people below. As the shadow crept across the infertile soil below arms began to rise from the ground.

First a few, then dozens, then hundreds. More and more broke the earth beneath the town shaking its foundations. They gasped desperately for their first breaths free of sulfur in untold years.

Before he had time to comprehend what was happening the corpses before him drew new life. Survivors of the plane crash rose from their brief respite. But most notably a man grasping an arrow with a fist unbroken by even death itself awakened.

As the wave of shadow spread over the town, something more than human rose out of the gravel and waves.

Aldo stood up, coughing out the blood stuck in his throat. He raised his eyes to meet Josuke. His eyes slowly shifted around to notice all the bodies standing up from the plane crash.

"It seems my work up here isn't done yet?" He mumbled tiredly.

**Stand Name**: When Will You Die?

**Stand User: **Horitsu Wa Subarshi (human)

**Stand Ability**: Stand attacks that would hurt anyone are instead redirected to the stand user whether it would hit them or not. The stand's own attacks can only be directed at the user. In addition to this, its area of effect has a range of A and will forcibly bring other stand users to its location.

**Design**: A small, thin humanoid figure covered in red and white pinstripes. The stand's chest has a large hole where the heart should be, and the stand's head is slightly bloated.

**Destructive power**: C

**Speed**: C

**Range**: D

**Durability**: B

**Precision**: A

**Development Potential**: B


	23. Paint it Black Part 2

**Stand Name**: Stairway to Heaven Act 1

**Stand User: **Aldo Goodman

**Stand Ability**: The stand reaches out a hand and creates an explosive flash of light turning shadows into light. The darker the shadow, the brighter the light it becomes. The light cannot last for more than a few seconds. This stand can manifest at any time, however in order to use the previous ability the user must have their eyes closed. The user loses control of their stand during the period of the bright flash.

**Design**: A thin figure dawning a cloak of pure shadow with boney hands and no other visible features hidden within its darkness.

**Destructive power**: C

**Speed**: D

**Range**: C

**Durability**: D

**Precision**: C

**Development Potential**: A

The man met his eyes a second time with a newfound fire. In mere moments he had cast out his worries, doubts, and drearies.

"I swear, even if it takes me another life I won't let you touch this arrow."

"I don't have time to worry about that arrow right now my friend is in trouble."

Aldo pocketed the arrow and introduced himself.

"Then I apologize for the misunderstanding before. My name is Aldo."

Josuke firmly grasped his hand and drew him in.

"There was no misunderstanding between us Aldo. I tossed you out of the plane just like you did to my friend. You're lucky he's tougher than you or I would send you to hell a second time"

The firmness on his hand only worsened as Crazy Diamond joined in crushing it. The hand cracked under the pressure.

Aldo winced in pain gripping his hand and averting his gaze. His hand slowly repaired itself as Josuke turned away.

"Let's get going," Josuke motioned to Horitsu to follow and began to trace the drainage ditch.

They had barely taken a few steps before They noticed the air was becoming darker.

Josuke cast his gaze upwards to see a trail of black ink in the sky. As if an angel was painting the sky itself with black ink. It flowed like a calm river and slowly dispersed into the town itself becoming a light gray mist closing in over and around them.

"Is that a…" Horitsu began.

"Yeah, it seems there are more stand user's here."

As the layer of mist fell on them the trail stopped moving towards the ocean. It slowly hung in the air before making a sharp turn towards the ground where they were standing.

"We need to get moving. Now!" Josuke picked up his pace and began to sprint. The road had become an obstacle course. Avoid the rubble and upturned cars. Watch out for the groaning bodies sticking out of the street.

After a minute he turned to check up on the others.

Aldo had barely made any progress, and Horitsu had tripped on someone's arm and was struggling to be let go. His face had slammed down into the dirt and glass on the floor.

When Will You Die watched from him inquisitively as he kicked and screamed.

Josuke gave a heavy sigh and dashed back to them.

Josuke picked up Aldo and slung the old man over his shoulder. Crazy Diamond slammed its foot into the arm Horitsu was struggling with.

Josuke began to hurry again but was quickly cut off by a thick black paint splotch. He felt slimy and wet as he pushed himself out of it. He and Aldo both gasped for breath once they were out of it.

"Why is this stand coming for us?" Coughed Aldo.

"The person who brought these people to life wants me and my friends dead so it was probably her doing."

"So she can control people's minds?"

"No…" Said Josuke, realizing where Aldo was going.

"Then she had someone here in town already working for her?"

"No, I'm pretty sure we took care of all of her stand users back in Morioh. Besides none of her followers had a power like this."

"Then why is there a stand user coming after us? Is it possible you missed one?"

"I really doubt it, our last fight seemed to push her to her limits. If she had another stand user she would have…" the realization finally hit him. In all the chaos it had slipped his mind.

"Horitsu!" Josuke called out turning.

To his horror, he saw a strange fish resembling a black paintbrush coloring the air. Trailing it he was able to barely make out a second fish swimming in the darkness.

Horitsu's stand attracted stand attacks. If this thing was an animal it's possible it would be instinctively trying to kill him. He couldn't let someone die because of him.

"Crazy Diamond!" His stand stretched out punching the black ink.

"DORA!" His attack missed Horitsu due to the range of the punch. Even though he could hit it, he couldn't see where the enemy was hiding amongst the waters.

"You missed." Commented Aldo flatly.

"Shut up," groaned Josuke from under him.

"Stairway to Heaven!"

The waters became visible for just a second illuminating the enemy. It wasn't just a fish, it was some ancient fish. It was about a meter tall but lengthwise it was twice that. Its mouth was filled with tiny razored teeth.

With its mouth hung open its jaws slowly closed in around Horitsu's arm.

"DORADORA!" Crazy Diamond delivered a barrage of punches peppering the water and Horitsu in the process.

Crazy Diamond managed to punch the ancient beast out of the murky black water. Beaching it onto the sidewalk. It thrashed violently trying to return to its stream.

"Auggh!" Horitsu screamed.

Josuke turned in confusion. Didn't he stop the monster from biting down?

Stairway to Heaven stood behind the man unblinking, watching When Will You Die who in turn watched Horitsu. Horitsu for his part lay sprawled on the floor in pain with some especially large glass sharps poking out of him.

He had probably been attacked by Aldo's stand on accident.

Josuke panicked and reached out his arm to send Crazy Diamond to him.

"Crunch!" His arm snapped and bled as the jaws of the beast closed around it.

"AAUUGGH!" He cried out in deep pain. As he let out his pain his jacket and part of his flesh was ripped off. The beast swam past tearing his left arm from his body.

On complete instinct, Josuke let out another cry, this one of rage. Crazy Diamond was healing Horitsu, but he didn't need it for this.

Josuke slammed his fist into the creature's eye, knocking its hefty weight out of the water and bruising his fist. His left arm was let go leaving it hanging to his body by nothing but a few wishbone thin strands.

Horitsu watched the beast paralyzed by his fear.

Aldo slid off of Josuke's shoulder.

"I doubt you'll forgive me after this is said and done, but if I've got another chance I want to help people like I used to. I'll hold this thing off for you guys."

Josuke nodded, exhausted, and took off with Horitsu on his trail.

"Stairway to Heaven" He heard Aldo call from behind him, followed by a bright flash.

Josuke held his left arm in place with his right arm. Maybe I can get Yukako or Jolyne to stitch this back in place at the pier he thought to himself.

**Stand Name**: Paint it black

**Stand User: **Envoy on the Coast (ichthyosaurus)

**Stand Ability**: Wherever the stand float it will leave a trail of thick, black ink which will act as floating water for as long as it is still visible. The longer a trail exists the more it will spread out until it becomes invisible. It takes 5 minutes for the ink to spread out and become invisible.

**Design**: The stand is a long, thin, black ichthyosaurus with black paintbrushes hanging off of each fin.

**Destructive power**: E

**Speed**: A

**Range**: A

**Durability**: C

**Precision**: B

**Development Potential**: C


	24. Paint it Black Part 3

**Stand Name**: Carry On Wayward Son Requiem (Carry On Requiem)

**Stand User: **Persephone (alias) (human)

**Stand Ability**: Manipulate the soul of the world. Restless souls will automatically be resurrected from the dead with bodies made from dirt.

**Design**: A stain glass humanoid projecting light upon all its user desires.

**Destructive power**: None

**Speed**: None

**Range**: None

**Durability**: None

**Precision**: None

**Development Potential**: None

Horitsu followed him wordless and pale.

As they arrived at the pier it became obvious there was another enemy. Rows of small shells leaking long shadowy tentacles slowly swaying in rhythm with the nearby waves. Josuke leaned down and picked up a pebble.

He leaned his left arm on his knee and tossed the stone with his right arm.

The stone bounced one of the shells creating a light reverberation for a second before the sound disappeared suddenly.

"Can I ask you something?" mumbled Horitsu.

"What is it?" winced Josuke, placing his right arm back onto his left to keep it supported.

"Can't you just heal yourself with your stand like you did with me?"

"My stand doesn't work like that. I can only heal others with it."

Horitsu's eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"I wish I could heal like you do. Instead, I'm stuck with this useless stand."

He glanced over to When Will You Die who was still standing there watching them.

"A stand is an extension of your will. I've even heard from some scientists at the Speedwagon foundation theorize that your stand ability is a wish. Either way, it's impossible to tell really. Maybe you hate yourself, or maybe you want to protect people.

Horitsu grimaced at his response and turned away.

"So a person's stand did this?" Horitsu gestured to the body parts sticking out of the beach and pavement.

"Yeah, she got a power boost from an arrow. But her stand's power before was to bring back the dead."

"If stand abilities are a wish like you said, what could you tell about her from her stand? It seems to me like she would be a kind person if she wants to bring the dead back."

Josuke thought about it for a second before pushing it out of his head. He needed to focus, for now, he would have plenty of time to mull it over later.

"Let's go," said Josuke. He slowly stepped through the shadow tentacles, careful not to touch them. Horitsu stumbled through barely managing not to get touched by the waving shadows.

"BEEP!"

"HURRY UP!"

"SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN, I'M DRIVING AS FAST AS I CAN!"

An especially loud car came barreling around the corner filled with Jolyne, Yukako, and Koichi.

Josuke winced and prepared to be swallowed by the tendrils.

Nothing happened.

He let out a deep sigh. It seemed they weren't triggered by sound alone.

"SCREECH!"

"Josuke what are you doing out there, we need to go! This town is crawling with stands!"

As if on cue a monster dashed around the corner they had come from. It was a dinosaur.

The creature was 7 meters long and 2 meters tall. Its mouth was full of razor-sharp teeth, bigger than the fish from before. Small bony protrusions stretched from its head to its tail. Along its body, it boasted large flashy stripes. It was covered in scars and gashes head to toe, but none deep enough to fell the beast.

"Stone Free!" Jolyne called.

Her stand was made to punch the beast leaving a dent in its skull which became quickly filled with slimy ooze. In seconds the wounds were no longer visible from where Josuke was standing.

Josuke finished making his way through the patch of seaweeds and ran to the concrete slabs comprising the pier.

If he could just get a little further into the water he was sure he'd be waiting for him there.

"They're our ride aren't they?" Asked Horitsu confused.

"Why are we going in the opposite direction?"

"I need to find someone!" Growled Josuke.

"In the ocean?"

"He fell from the plane! He should be somewhere around here!"

"If he fell from the plane he'd be dead."

Josuke pointed to the corpses desperate to claw their way out of the sand.

"She brought everyone back to life, even if he did die, he'd still be alive because of her.

"If he's alive he'll be fine, but you have almost no chance of finding him here."

Horitsu motioned to the waves stretching to the horizon.

"Crazy Diamond!" Josuke let out a low growl.

The stand grabbed an arm sticking out of the sand and ripped them out of the earth.

The sand person's face was a picture of agony. Their eyes were bloodshot. They had several wounds on their body trying to bleed, but finding it difficult to make it past the layers of sand they were covered in.

"DORA!" Crazy Diamond smashed their head in turning them back into the sand they had come from.

"Grazie" They wheezed out as they once more became dust.

Josuke watched them crumble slowly and become invisible amongst the rocky sands.

"If Okuyasu was brought back too life, her power wouldn't help a second. I need to find him before he drowns in the waves."

"But…"

Their conversation was cut short by the dinosaur's needly jaws. It took a bite tearing into Horitsu's stomach.

"Shit!" Josuke cursed.

"DORADORA!"

He just punched the monster sending it flying backward. But that wasn't all he managed, his stand had landed a few blows on Horitsu pulling him back together. Just as his wounds were healing his wounds were reopened by the beast's teeth digging into Horitsu as it flew back tearing through his skin like play-doh. Blood spurted out as he collapsed in pain.

"I forgot all about When Will You Die!" Josuke cursed to himself.

"ORA!" Jolyne jumped down to the beach throwing a punch towards the dinosaur.

"Hold on!" Josuke called out, but it was too late.

"Crack!"

"Stone Free's fist flew past the dinosaur landing a gut spilling blow on Horitsu causing him to fall over in pain.

An oozing creature roughly the size of the enemy, with a lost looser shape materialized drooling into the beast's wounds.

"Snap, Slurp!" The skin stretched out to pull itself together. Bones pulled themselves out of its skull to create stitches for the wounds. Finally, blood drained back into leaving only a small pool to harden on it.

Josuke turned to look in the waves for a minute.

"Come on, come on, where are you?" He whispered desperately.

It ran at Horitsu again bearing its teeth with savage glee.

Josuke gritted his teeth and repositioned himself to be on the far end of a line connecting him, the dinosaur, and Horitsu in that order.

"DORADORA!" His blows flew straight towards Horitsu but failed to touch him due to the range. Instead, they connected to the deathless reptile.

His punches sent it flying overhead.

Josuke slowly walked towards the slowly crumpled beast and the man. Its jaws snapped at Josuke only being directed to Horitsu. Horitsu took a step back tripping over something and falling backward with a small shout.

Josuke walked around the back of the feral creature positioning himself again.

He could swear he saw a sweat roll down the creature's head as Crazy Diamond pulled back.

"DORADORADORA!" It went flying again.

"Uh, Jo-Josuke! Help me please!" Josuke turned to see Horitsu lying on the sand surrounded by dozens of shells with shadowy tendrils sticking out.

"I'm surrounded by those things we went past earlier."

Josuke cursed to himself again.

How had they gotten there? Had they moved while everyone was caught up in the battle? How had he missed it?

"Stay still, I'll help you in a minute." Said Josuke through gritted teeth. He didn't have time for this.

Josuke circled the once more recovered dinosaur to get in position to attack again.

"RA!" The creature snapped at Horitsu.

"DORADORADORA!" It was sent flying into the pit of ammonites.

"Aaaaaa!" It screeched with terror as black tentacles ripped and pulled at its flesh tearing it apart and sucking it into the shells. In a second the sound was gone, but the creature remained being torn apart.

But the victory was short-lived as a gelatinous stand manifested around the creature. The tendrils went limp releasing the chunks of flesh.

The ooze slapped, squeezed, and churled pulling itself together.

"No you don't!" roared Josuke punching the stand.

As Crazy Diamond made contact with the stand it slowly began to get pulled in. It managed to pull back its right arm, but the left arm wasn't strong enough and ripped off of Josuke flying towards the ooze.

The suction drew in all of its surroundings creating a horrifying chimera amalgamate.

As the sand settled the creature became visible once more. It had sought to repair its body with whatever it could use, and it had done exactly that.

Josuke's jacket and skin had become flesh for it. Shadowy tentacles grew out of shells substituting bone in its back. He could see and he could see a five-pointed bulge in its stomach where his appendage had likely ended up. Its flesh had become a patchwork mess. Bones ran like stitches throughout every patch of skin. It had even lost some teeth to the repairs.

**Stand Name**: Rock Lobster

**Stand User: **B-52 (ammonite)

**Stand Ability**: The stand will create long tendrils of shadowy seaweeds that move with the nearest body of water. Whenever anything makes contact with it the stand will steal its 'voice' from it making it impossible for it to make any sound. After this is done the tendrils will attempt to feed the being to its user. The stand will multiply based on the amount of sound it has ever stolen creating potentially forests of seaweeds. Only the user needs to be in the water.

**Design**: An ammonite with long shadowy tentacles.

**Destructive power**: B

**Speed**: E

**Range**: B

**Durability**: C

**Precision**: B

**Development Potential**: B


	25. Paint it Black Part 4

**Stand Name**: Echoes Act 3

**Stand Ability**: Echoes has the ability to twist the spelling of Japanese words to create a new meaning and bring it to life. This is used to change the spelling of three to freeze a target it punches. It can only apply the effect after twisting its hands to represent the twisting of the spelling of a word.

**Design**: Wears a white jacket over its body and head. Parts of the white jacket hanging from its waist. The exposed parts are glittering green shells.

**Destructive power**: A

**Speed**: C

**Range**: D

**Durability**: C

**Precision**: C

**Development Potential**: B

"Come one." Josuke grabbed Horitsu.

"We need to find Okuyasu quickly."

"We do not have time to find him. We have got to get going before that thing rips me in half like a lawnmower!"

"Do what you want, I'm not leaving!" Josuke pushed him and began wading into the waters.

The monster growled and lunged at Horitsu to take a bite.

Jolyne managed to tackle him from behind pushing him past the beast.

Jolyne let wiped away the sweat she was accumulating from the close call.

"You need to get out of here!"

"ACT Three Freeze!" Called out Koichi from next to the creature.

To his surprise, the chimera's eye met him for the briefest second as if to gloat. You can't stop me it whispered to him wordlessly.

"Koichi no!" Yukako attempted to slap him out of the way. She only managed to hit the frozen Horitsu behind them.

The beast to Yukako's delight and Jolyne's horror turned its attention to Horitsu.

"Crack…"

In a second Horitsu's head was devoured whole. His neck rang out with a loud crack echoing throughout the beach.

Jolyne watched the life slowly leave his body as a headless corpse fell to the ground.

Jolyne's attention turned to the red and white striped stand which had collapsed on the concrete slabs comprising the pier. Its red stripes had lost all color and bled onto the ground below it. It faded out and began to turn into dust releasing its ability.

He was dead, not even Josuke could bring him back now.

He splashed around in the water kicking and digging trying to find any sign of him.

He must be deeper in Josuke thought to himself running even deeper in.

The waves crashed against Josuke mixing saltwater into his sweat.

"DAMNIT!" He kicked the waves with a visceral scream.

"JOSUKE!" Jolyne practically roared at him.

"You just killed someone because you wouldn't leave!" Jolyne was done with this shit. She would drag him out of here kicking and screaming if she had too.

"Jolyne we don't have time for this we need to get out of..." Koichi tried to reason in the background. He was interrupted by a bite from the beast.

"Koichi!" Yukako called out, managing to push him just enough out of the way with Love Deluxe.

The two began to distract the dinosaur in the background.

"I just need a little more time!" Josuke cried out in rage.

"He's here! I know he's here!"

"Stone Free!" Jolyne stand made to grab Josuke.

Josuke fell flat into the water sending Stone Free flying overhead.

"Crazy Diamond!" Josuke uppercut the stand as it was flying overhead causing Jolyne to double over.

"Seriously guys stop this! We need to leave. I'm not leaving here without him."

She growled and looked up with a look that would have run him cold if he weren't so burning with rage himself.

She got up and trudged through the water practically causing it to steam with her rage.

"You won't find Okuyasu Josuke! He's dead! Even if he was alive he wouldn't last long bleeding out on the ocean. Even if he was brought back to life he would die instantly if he was still in the ocean."

"What are you talking about!" Josuke barked.

"Jolyne seriously, my stand can't hold this thing anymore! We need to go!" Grunted Koichi.

They both ignored him.

"Haven't you been paying attention or are you as dumb as that hair makes you look! These zombies are made of fucking dirt and sand!"

Josuke's face cracked as it contorted in rage.

"DORA!" Josuke made to punch Jolyne who ducked and uppercut him.

"ORA!" Stone Free made to punch him as he recoiled from her punch.

"DORADORA!" Crazy Diamond flew past Stone Free Punching Jolyne Directly.

The pain caused her to take a step back and stopped her stand's attack.

Jolyne stabilized herself and rushed forward.

"ORA!" She slammed her foot down on his.

He tried to step back and was trapped by her foot. Jolyne grasped his tie with her left hand trapping him.

"ORAORAORAORA!" Stone Free beat into him while Josuke stood stuck.

Eventually, she let go causing him to fall back into the water. Jolyne turned and walked away.

"Get your shit together and let's go. If I have to spend another minute in this goddamn town…"

"DORA!" Josuke sent her flying towards the beach.

He began to stomp towards her.

"Crazy Diamond!"

"Stone Free!"

"KOICHI!" Yukako

Her voice rang out in a powerful mix of emotions hard to put words to. Guilt, anger, fear, rage, and sorrow.

The two's stand's disappeared as they turned their attention to the scene before them.

Blood ran down the beasts jaw, down its neck, and onto the lonely torso below. The legs, without and an upper body fell quickly down spraying blood onto the rough sands. The blood began to be washed away by the waves, mourning the loss of another that night.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAA!

Yukako cracked.

Love Deluxe spread over the beach closing in on the monster. Hair strangled it from all directions snapping bones and piercing organs.

As she rampaged against the beast slime poured out from its wounds drawing in the hair from Yukako to stitch its wounds closed.

Yukako screeched and struggled as the slime plucked out her hairs one by one adding to its mass.

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She eventually managed to cut her hairs where they were connected leaving her hair half its previous length.

Josuke and Jolyne jumped in beating the beast down.

"DORAORADORAORADORAORADORAORA!" Their blows weaved between each other sending the deadly fiend sliding backward. Despite their best efforts, it seemed as if their attacks were barely having any effect.

It lunged forward to take a bite.

"Crazy Diamond!" The stand moved quickly holding open the enormous maw with its feet and now singular arm to keep it from killing Josuke.

Tears rolled down Josuke's soaked face.

"Come on Okuyasu, where are you. Koichi you're still here too right. I'm sorry for being such a shitty friend. I'm sorry please just come back. Please I can't do this without you. I-I can't…" He trailed off into full-blown tears.

"Goddamnit please!"

"Stone Free!" Jolyne's stand made to attack the monster while it was held.

The creature kept its ravenous gaze fixed on Josuke, but the tendrils on its back moved to restrain Jolyne. The moments her stand touched it, she let out a scream of pain.

"AUGH…" Which was quickly cut off as she lost her voice to the shadowy tendrils.

Jolyne sat paralyzed trying her best to scream, Yukako ran her long nails across her body and shortened hair leaving marks of great pain punishing herself and breaking down. Josuke sat armless slowly bleeding out and let the tears flow freely from his face as he accepted the deaths of his best friend.

Thoughts began to flow through Josuke's head as the cacophony of the world played them through the climax of the fight.

Koichi and Horitsu's warnings flew through his head as he took stock of the mess. If Okuyasu were here he could have dealt with that thing effortlessly.

Not only that he would have done it with a smile. That man's ability to find joy in any situation was uncanny.

And Koichi. Koichi would have held that thing forever if he could have. He was a reliable friend. There was nothing Josuke couldn't trust him with.

After a few seconds, he finally wiped the tears from his face.

Just then an idea flowed through his head.

"We need to get going." He announced sternly.

"DORA!" Josuke slammed his hand inside the bloody maw as his stand drew its singular arm back to attack.

As soon as its arm was gone the jaw quickly began to close, bending his remaining arm in a way it shouldn't be able to bend.

Crazy Diamond slammed their heads into its gums in unison slowing its huge jaw down long enough for Crazy Diamond's Punch to go through.

The monster glowed with a pink aura as it was once again torn apart. The body became a whirlwind of blood, bone, hair flesh, jacket fibers, shadow tendrils, and shells.

Jolyne was released as the shape became a blur among the pink winds.

Josuke dragged himself up, gripped his bleeding arm tightly to try and stop the blood.

"Let's get going." He called out coughing up blood.

Jolyne ran over to him and gave him her shoulder.

"I'll bandage you up in the car." She wheezed out as her voice slowly returned.

As they went past Jolyne grabbed Yukako and threw her over her shoulder.

She worked her way up the stairs just as the bone-chilling roar from earlier came back again. She began to speed up once more. The sound disappeared again, they didn't have much more time.

She threw the other two back in the back of the stolen car and moved to the front. She opened up the front door as the ground began to shake.

"stomp, stomp."

She sat in the seat

"Stomp, Stomp!"

She turned the key. It didn't start.

"STOmp! STOmp!"

"Come on, come on!" She hit the car and turned the key once more, nothing.

"STOMp! STOMp!"

She turned the key again.

"STOMP! STOMP!"

"BRRR!"

It turned on. She put her foot to the gas in the blink of an eye.

The car shot away as the stomping became distant.

"Where are we headed?" Asked Jolyne as they flew through sideroads.

Josuke was about to answer before he choked on the air. It had become an inky black here.

"The roads weren't like this earlier, is it another stand?" Jolyne mumbled hollow from the past few hours.

"Slap" the windshield cracked as they hit an object hidden amongst the mists.

"I can't see through this. You two cover your faces." They complied as Jolyne gritted her teeth and covered her face as well.

Stone Free crouched behind her and drew back its fist to crack open the windshield sending glass shards flying through the car.

As if it was waiting for this a giant fish came flying into the car biting down on the arm covering Jolyne's face.

"Stone Free!" The stand lunged forward but missed the enemy as it let go of her arm.

The enemy moved to escape the vehicle only to bounce off a net where the windshield once was.

"Think you can get away that easily." Grumbled Jolyne.

"I'm a little pissed so I'm going to blow off a little steam on you. I hope that's all right."

Stone Free grabbed it by its tail and slammed its head into some loose glass on the dashboard. It slammed its head into the dashboard even further before dragging its entire body through the rest of the glass on the dashboard.

Jolyne watched with sadistic glee as Stone Free bounced the ancient fish around the car, finally cutting it into pieces with string.

"Let's just get out of town for now." Whispered Josuke finally breaking the silence.

Thoughts of the recurring nightmares had started getting after they fought Kira came back to him. If he got nightmares from almost losing a friend he was scared of what was in store for him when he next closed his eyes.

"I'll need years of therapy to get over today." Josuke collapsed on the back seat trying his best to get some sleep while bleeding out.

**Stand Name**: Staying Alive

**Stand User: **Boney M. (Saltriosaurus)

**Stand Ability**: The stand will repair its user by any means necessary using any materials it has on hand. If its user suffers severe enough damage it will swallow the surroundings to repair them. The stand only knows how to fix external and internal wounds should the user die of natural causes the stand can do nothing. The stand will often repair the user to keep it alive for the immediate moments of a fight using materials that could be vital to its survival in the long term.

**Design**: Staying Alive is a colony stand composed of millions of small archaebacteria-like microorganisms that form the rough outline of a dinosaur.

**Destructive power**: D

**Speed**: C

**Range**: D

**Durability**: A

**Precision**: B

**Development Potential**: C


End file.
